


Love Game

by BlackenShadowCat



Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel), DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, AllMate OC, AllMates, Blood, DMMD syfy stuff, DRAMAtical Murder - Freeform, F/M, More Chapters to Come, Multi, No official relationships, One Year Later, Other, Plot, Rating May Change, Reverse Harem, Rhyme, Scrap (DRAMAtical Murder), Swearing, Toue is alive, author's notes, dmmd - Freeform, female oc - Freeform, for now, possible book series, posting half of the story at a time, took me a year to write this, yes those are important, your welcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 01:56:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 22,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7871110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackenShadowCat/pseuds/BlackenShadowCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her parents are dead, her brother ran away from home years ago, and she lives by herself in an abandoned building. She's an aloof girl who makes AllMates, and knows how to take care of herself- and her panda bear AllMate Orio, of course. With few friends, she's happy in a weird semi-sad way. Apart from a fucked up government and the strangers she is forced to be around, her life was simple. <br/>Haha...not anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Before you guys begin reading, allow me to answer a few questions:

Stetting of the story? This story is set after the Oval Tower is destroyed. Think of it as the ‘aftermath’. However, given that this character is female, that means nobody is in a relationship! Some of the characters have not gone through development yet, and- although everybody is familiar with one another- no one cares for each other in a romantic sense. 

Do I need to know anything before reading? YES. This may or may not turn into a reverse harem type of thing. It depends on how popular it gets, honestly. 

Also, I have changed a few things in DMMD for plot convenience. It’s nothing big. Stuff like money, how an AllMate is put together, and little information like that, has been tweaked. The only major thing that has been changed is Toue’s situation. He is not dead, nor is he imprisoned. I figured this would be useless, since a man with that much power would find a way to get out of prison anyhow. 

Thank you for reading!

<3 Cat


	2. Prolaugue:

Don’t let me go. I know it might be tempting to do. In fact, it might be easier to do than to deal with me. But don’t. Please… Hold onto me. Treasure me. Keep me safe. Save me. Show me new things. Teach me to love. Teach me to live. Help me live with myself. I need you. I need you so much.

You don’t know it yet, but you are very important. Everything hinges on you. You’ll be my savior, my end, or our doom. 

But in the end, it’s entirely up to you. Banish me to the darkness, where nothing but pain and sorrow awaits. Crush my hopes, dreams, and all thoughts of freedom. Toss me into this endless abyss, where we spend eternity with one another. Or bring me into the light. Shower me in endless kisses, cherish me, and help me endure what is to come. Give me the one thing I’ve never had: love. Then, you could choose neither. Send both of us into a neutral state; neither good nor bad. Let us suffer together, and undergo the future side by side. 

You understand now, don’t you? Good. You are almost ready. But first… Whatever you choose, know this: as you read, you will know more about me. You will know my name, my nature, and my purpose. And in due course, you will see what I think of you. 

No, this isn’t a test. No, I am not meant to judge you. I don’t even know you. We just met after all. However, what I said was true. So that leaves only one more question to ask. 

Are you ready to precede?


	3. Chapter 1:

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BE-

My Coil silenced as I pressed my thumb to the glossy glass screen. A few more minutes of silence passed. I fought to keep myself from slipping into and out of consciousness, and eventually gathered enough courage to open my eyes. 

My blue orbs landed on a ceiling. As plain as that sounds, believe me when I say it’s anything but. Holes and rays of sun seeped through. Bits of roof-tile and whatnot held whatever was left of the roof.

As you can see, preservation has been a bitch to keep up with of late. Scratch that. It’s always been a bitch to keep up with. But it’s not like a small portion of missing ceiling will put a damper on my day. It’s what I had. And I was happy with it, believe it or not. Home was home. 

My home may seem underwhelming in comparison to others. Sure, I slept in an abandon building. However, this wasn’t JUST an abandoned building. This building belonged to my father. 

My father… well, he’s gone. He’s not coming back. Neither is my mother. Perhaps one day my brother will return, but until then, I was on my own. 

That’s how things have always been. I don’t mind it. Being alone was safe. 

Of course it’s a little lonely. But that’s the price of being safe, isn’t it? Besides, I get to be around other people. Albeit not often, I get a customer…

My business? AllMates. It was my father’s business too. I was supposed to inherit the company on my 19th birthday, but as you can imagine- that’s not happening any time soon. I was currently 22 years old. Well, I was technically 23. My birthday was last week. 

Anyhow, it turns out there was no will or anything in writing stating that I was the heir. The guy who basically owns everything I step on, ‘Toue’, owns my father’s business now. That means he owns this building as well…but it was still my home. Toue can go fuck himself. I’m not giving up the only thing I have left of my dad. At least, not without a fight. 

When I turned 15, I began my AllMate business. A regular AllMate is $200, but mine are made quicker and cost less. That brought in TONS of business! Yes, that would mean I’m illegally making AllMates. But hey, I need to eat somehow. Sitting here and wallowing in my sorrow won’t do it for me. 

I get out of bed, AKA an old mattress with a thin cover overtop, and stand to stretch. I hear my back pop, and let out a sigh of relief. 

Okay. I should see if there are any new requests. 

I practically glide over to my bag. I reach inside and pull out my panda-bear AllMate, Orio. 

He’s the size of a cub, for portable convenience. It also makes him look cuter. So I have no issues with it. If you get the right type of AllMate, the seriously expensive ones, you can watch your AllMate grow into adulthood. However, those AllMates tend to crash easier. They normally come with problems, on top of problems, on top of even more problems. That’s why I prefer the old-fashioned AllMates.

I may be retro for that reason, but eh. I want something that will last. And boy has Orio lasted! With the occasional tech malfunction here and there, he’s been with me since I was 8 years old. Dad and I made him together. 

Placing a hand on its head, I spoke in a clear voice: “Orio!” 

The mechanical eyes opened, and a calm, monotonous voice, replied: “Anna.” 

It took a moment for the AllMate to boot up, per-say. But once he did, the panda turned to me, patiently waiting for orders or directions. 

“Do we have any requests this morning?” 

“Going into the data-base now…” His eyes lit up a light, vibrant purple. Hints of what he was looking at quickly sped across his pupils, but moved too fast to read. “Mail Box: empty. Total sold AllMates this week: 5. Earnings in total…$674.11.” 

No requests? Ugh, this day was going to be boring, I can already tell. I need to get money the hard way, then. I can’t afford to not work a day. 

I grab a large box and fill it with clean, reusable, scrap metal and parts. I can’t use these, unfortunately. But~ I can turn them into that junk-shop a few blocks down. I won’t get much money, but it will be enough for at least one meal. 

“Come on, Orio,” I call. 

Kneeling down, I watch as the AllMate slowly approaches. Pandas, being as lethargic as they are, don’t move very fast. However, he’s moving in a timely manner. 

I feel Orio’s limbs wrap around my arm, latching to me securely. 

Good boy. 

I stand up again and head down the flight of steps. Correction: flights of steps… 

Building, remember? I can’t be on the first floor, as it’s normally a hot-spot for delinquents. Graphite all but engulfs the downstairs. And let’s not mention the police. If they catch me living here without consent, on ‘private property’, I’ll be heavily fined. That’s something I can definitely afford- to live without. 

Once reaching the bottom of the stairs, I slip into my light gray sandals. They wrap around my ankle, and are comfortable to walk in. Since I grew out of my sneakers, I figured these would be an easier and cheaper alternative. So far, I’m right. 

Reaching the exit, I use my foot to swing the door open. The building is surrounded by overgrown grass, vines, and other forms of foliage. Therefore, it’s unlikely that anybody can see me. But I know that if someone looks hard enough, they’ll find that I stick out like a sore thumb. My pink and blue hair make sure of that. 

Believe it or not, my natural hair color is blue; baby blue. A few years back, when I was going through my ‘rebellious stage’, I made the decision to dye everything but the front of my hair light pink. At first, I thought I looked absolutely ridiculous. But then, the more I looked at it, the more it grew on me. 

That doesn’t change the fact that it contributes to my overall appearance. I don’t look 23. With my hair, plus the type of face I have, almost everyone mistakes me for a 15 or 16 year old. I have small boobs too, so…yeah… 

Once in a great while, somebody will ask if I’m 17. But that’s rare. It probably wasn’t even worth mentioning. Just forget that I said it.


	4. Chapter 2:

I walk down the street, my eyes glued on the ground. A car would catch my glance every now and then, but everyone knows that they’re there for decoration. No, really. They actually are there for decoration. I shit you not. 

The only ‘car’ that drives is a taxi. Preposterously expensive, and with a wait-list of over 1 thousand people last time I checked, it’s not worth it. You’re better off walking. I promise you, you’ll get there faster as well. 

“Short-cut detected,” Orio pipes up. 

I glance down at him with a smile. “Thanks, bud, but not this time. I’ll take the long way ‘round.” 

“Understood.” 

I take a right and head down a familiar path. On my way, however, I see something captivating. 

A man is cutting a woman’s hair. What made it so captivating? The way he was preforming the task… His movements were quick and elegant, as if he could cut someone’s hair with his eyes closed. Watching the scissors move, and the hair fall to the ground, I began to wonder… 

I was due for a haircut. My hair reached my tailbone for Christ sake. Unruly, normally tangled, and often frizzy, perhaps a haircut was needed. 

If I get enough money from the junk-shop, I’ll get it on my way back. Right now I can’t be distracted. 

As the hairdresser finished, he ran a comb through the woman’s hair. Slowly and gently, he smiled down at his masterpiece. And when he was done, he faced the line of waiting customers. His red eyes scanned the crowd, and then suddenly traveled to me. 

Upon eye-contact, I started walking again. With a bit of oomph in my step, I tried to pretend I was simply passing by. 

Appearance wise, his red eyes and kimono stuck out like a sore thumb. So naturally that’s what I would notice first. It’s a bit of a bummer, really. I didn’t get the chance to get a good look at his face…

I take a deep breath in and make a left. I head down the narrow alleyway, and finally arrive at my destination. It’s named Junk Shop Heibon. From the looks of it, it’s pretty run down. But isn’t everything in this area shitty looking? I’m pretty sure I invented it.

I lean against the door and slowly feel it give way. Hopping inside the store, I sigh. I was about to look for an employee. But when I look around, my eyes land on a mess.

Three children are running around, chasing a robot. Items from the store are scattered pretty much everywhere, and I can even see broken glass off to the side. The sight of this made me wonder if I should just turn around and leave. However, the sight of a boy with blue hair catches my eye. 

He’s chasing after the children, calling them by name. I don’t catch what he says, due to the sound of falling boxes and the occasional glass-shattering. But as he passes by, he realizes that I’ve been standing here all along. 

I take the brief moment to study this boy’s appearance. His clothes included a white and blue Brain Nuts jacket, a navy long-sleeve shirt underneath, blue jeans, and a blue studded belt. He wore matching shoes with dark blue leg warmers, a blue and black glove on his right hand and a coil on his left wrist. Around his neck, he had large, retro pink headphones.

“O-oh.” He stops what he’s doing immediately and tries to straighten his posture. “Welcome to Junk Shop Heibon! What can I do for you?” 

…Really? He’s going to pretend that everything is okay? 

I raise an eyebrow, but go with the flow anyway. I hand him the box of supplies, and gently cradle Orio in my arms. Whist still looking at him, I sigh. 

“I’d like to turn these in. How much?” 

The boy chuckles and turns to the running kids. They stood off to the side, no longer chasing the- now hiding- robot.

“Give me a sec to sort through this,” he says. Afterwards, he walks over to his desk. Like he says, he begins to look through what was in the box. 

“You’re weird,” one of the children- a boy, I believe- announces. He points at me with a half scowl, “Your hair is pink! It looks like yarn!” 

Oh, how original… As if I haven’t heard that before. 

I scoff. Going over to him, I watch as the two other brats part like the Red Sea. He tries to back up or get away from me, but I kneel in front of him. Giving him a rather serious gaze, I reach over to ruffle his hair. 

“Go home, kid. Your parents must be worried sick.”

He crosses her arms stubbornly. “My parents are working!” 

My eyes narrow. “Then be thankful that you have parents.” 

His face drops, my cynical and eerie attitude getting to him. He raises his hands with a wary look, and suddenly runs past me. The side of his body accidentally brushes against my waist, nearly causing me to topple over. 

Presumably his friend, a girl dressed mostly in pink, follows him out. On her way, she calls me a ‘creepy yarn-hair lady’, and grabs the hand of the other boy. The trio depart with the sound of the door bell ringing behind them, leaving the store in peace. 

“Uh…was that necessary?” The blue haired boy from before gives me a wide-eyed look. I return it with a smile. 

“It got them out of the shop, didn’t it?” 

I carefully walk over to him, stepping over the occasional broken item. When I get to the desk, the boy is already putting items back in the box. 

“Well, what you brought is unquestionably old, but they’re in surprisingly good shape. Hardly any rust, and from what I’ve seen, no major pieces are missing. With the exception of a few dents and how out of date they are, the box should be worth about $30.” 

My face sinks when hearing the price. 

He said it himself. They’re old but in ‘surprisingly good shape’. Shouldn’t they be worth more, given that fact? 

I sigh a little, but nod. “All right. I’ll take it.” 

The boy smiles and walks behind the desk. He approaches the cash register, and opens it with a key. Reaching inside, he takes out $30. Subsequently, he reaches over to hand me the money. 

“There you go! Thanks for dropping by.” 

I take the money from him, and count it quickly. I’m astonished to see an extra 10 bucks thrown into the deal. 

“…I thought you said it was 30,” I murmur. 

He shrugs with a gentle grin. I thought that was going to be his answer, but then he speaks: 

“Think of it as a thank you for getting those brats out of here. They were wrecking the shop.” His eyebrows turn down when examining his surroundings. 

He knows that he’s either in trouble, or he has to clean this mess. Actually, it could be both. 

“Oh, okay,” I nod. I stuff the money in my pants pocket, and turn to exit the junk-shop. “It was nice meeting you.” 

I watch as he waves goodbye. “Likewise. Goodbye!” 

I don’t bother with a verbal farewell. ‘It was nice meeting you’ was as close as I ever got to ‘goodbye’. Reason for that being, I hated goodbyes. It was like a vow to never see each other again. The idea sucked. So I avoid it altogether. 

I take a deep breath in and look up at the sky. It’s clear, for the most part. I could spot the occasional cloud, but other than that, there was blue sky for miles! 

Maybe this day isn’t going to be as bad as I thought. I mean, the walk was nice. I got $40 off a box of materials worth only $30. It would seem that luck was on my side.


	5. Chapter 3:

I paused to watch the man from this morning cut hair. I stood across the way, and silently gazed. His fingers moved smoothly, easily working around the hair like nothing. The stands of locks easily fell to the floor, in quick easy snips. With a comb in one hand and a pair of sharp scissors in the other, the way he did his job appeared to be beyond professional. 

You know… I got a little extra money from earlier. A haircut was normally $12, leaving plenty of cash for food.

Ugh. I hated these short spouts of vanity. I shouldn’t be thinking about my hair. I should be thinking about my business, and the fact that $40 could buy me THREE good sized meals. Well, street food, that is… But I wasn’t wrong about the rations! A milkshake could very well rival the size of the renewed Oval Tower, found in the center of Platinum Jail. The old one collapsed a year ago, due to some terrorist attack? That’s the rumor, anyway. There were a small handful of survivors, but since the happening, nobody has seen or heard word one of them.

I’d rather not get into the whole Platinum Jail talk. It’s complicated, and quite honestly, I know very little about it. All I know is: that’s where the filthy rich live. They live in luxury, while the rest of us are left to survive on what we can. And to who do we thank this lovely system? Toue. 

Aah~, now you’re getting it. That asshole was in jail for a short period of time. Still, I believe he was set free just a short time ago. He’ll be back in business when he ‘recovers’. 

After some time of staring, I decided to get a closer look. I stood off to the side, away from the line of people. Yet it seemed to bother more than a few customers…

“Hey, don’t cut the line,” a girl yells. Her friend whispers something to her, and the two erupt with giggles. “She does look it, doesn’t she?” 

I didn’t like the sudden attention I was getting. I took a step back and raised my hands. 

“I-I’m not in line!” 

“Why not? You’re here for a haircut, aren’t you?” The hairdresser sends me a kind smile. 

Considering we were closer to one another, I was able to see more of his face. Pale and clearly Japanese, the bridge of his nose had a vertical scar across it. His kimono covered a large portion of his body, not leaving much skin- with the exception of his chest area. His hair was done exceptionally neat; having a long side pony tail over one shoulder, while half of his bangs shield the right side of his face. A red hairpiece kept everything in place, as well as a well-concealed ribbon. It took some time to notice the sword strapped to his back, or that he was wearing sandals that matched the theme of his outfit. By the time I realized, I was afraid that I had been staring like a deer in the headlights. 

“It’s okay,” I finally respond. “I don’t have anywhere to go. I can wait for my turn.”

Finished with his current customer’s hair, he politely beckoned me closer. Still maintaining an unwavering gentle smile, he patted the seat in front of him. 

“Please, I insist. It’s policy for new customers. With it also comes a discount. Besides, my waiting list is over a week long.”

Really? He was letting me cut a line of people, AND is willing to give a discount? Hum…nice. 

Going over to the seat, I sat down. Orio moved out of the man’s way, clutching onto to my leg instead of my arm. 

I curiously glance to a side, and catch more than a few foul gazes from the audience. The most potent of said gazes were from the girls earlier. They stared at me with contempt in their eyes, fists balled up and nasty scowls on their faces. 

Jesus Christ… Don’t kill me. He’s the one that offered and ‘insisted’! 

I uneasily turned my gaze to the mirror in front of me. I look for a bit, watching the man in red gather clean tools. When finished, he smiled broadly at me through the mirror. 

“How short do you want me to cut your hair?” 

I glanced at my ratty tail-bone long hair. After a moment of thinking, I gestured to my shoulder. 

“About here is fine.” 

“Are you sure?” He gave me a slightly wary glance, as if cutting away that much were a big deal.

I simply nod. His smile returns shortly after. “May I have your permission to wash and thin it out too?” 

I shrug in a casual manner. “Do what you think is best. This is the first time I’ve been to a hairdresser since I was in my early teens.” 

I receive a nod in return, much like mine a moment ago. He places something resembling a cape around my neck, and gestures towards the back of the room. 

“This way, please.” 

I do as he asks, not bothered by Orio’s clinginess in the least. I was just relieved that this opportunity came along. I needed something to take my mind off work for a bit. This will defiantly do the trick.


	6. Chapter 4:

Apparently, his name was Koujaku. His name wrung a few bells, as he was popular with the ladies. You can’t go anywhere around here without hearing the name at least once every hour. From what I can see, the gossip was heavy when it came to him. Throughout this haircut, I’ve heard whispers and utters of rumors in the crowd. 

One of them was a theory; saying that Koujaku wears a kimono because some of his body was heavily scared. My thoughts on the subject weren’t that important. If anything, they were logical.

Did I believe the rumor? Sure. He’s obviously a fighter, given he has a sword. Scars and wounds are bound to happen once in a while. 

My eyes trailed to the girls standing closest. They were at the front of the line, due to people walking away.

I don’t blame them for leaving. I’ve been here for what, an hour and a half? I’m surprised that the girls haven’t left yet. They were either really angry, or super devoted. 

“Are they…related to you or something,” I giggled. 

“Oh no, they’re my regulars.” 

Just how many times do you need to cut your hair to become a ‘regular’? Both of the girls’ hair was professionally styled, but also short. Their faces fit the hairstyle, but for some reason I couldn’t help but to ponder: did they get their hair done every other week, just to see this guy? 

I hardly cut my hair at all. There’s no real need to. One trim every year or so is plenty. Yes, that would mean that I cut my own hair. I’m pretty sure Koujaku realized that even before he began to snip away.

“Are you sure? I don’t know if they want to kill me or rip the kimono off your back…” 

At first I thought I offended him. I didn’t mean to say it out loud after all. But then I started to hear him laugh. Soon, he was laughing so hard that he had to pause to hold his upper chest. 

“What did you do to Koujaku-senpai,” a girl waiting in line outraged. 

She was the same one from before… 

“I didn’t do anything. He’s laughing,” I mutter. 

My answer doesn’t appear to be good enough. Both strangers are still glaring, despite how much of a fool they were making themselves out to be. 

“Freak,” the other girl snickered. “You better step off, bitch!” 

Koujaku stopped laughing immediately. His face quickly changed from happy to a hard look within seconds. 

“Such language is unbecoming of a lady. Please don’t insult my customers, or I’ll have to ask you to exit off the premises.”

The women gasp. Like they can’t believe their ears, they take a staggered step back.

“Oh no, we understand,” they responded. “We’re sorry Koujaku-san!” 

His pleasant smile returns. Nodding a few times, he turns to carry on with my haircut.

Talk about taking something from 0 to 60… Those girls were ridiculous! What did they think I was doing? Putting a spell on him? Oh, please! I’m sure a guy like this already has a girlfriend. Albeit, it might be an open relationship. But I’d be surprised if he had no one.

“One more rinse and then you’re good to go,” Koujaku announces. 

I smile at myself in the mirror. My haircut looked amazing! No longer frizzy or shabby looking, it was as if I were somebody completely different.

Although he followed my directions, I can see that he went a little off kilter. He gave me some bangs, and framed my hair around my face. He made sure to highlight and layer my hair, so that some of my natural color would become more visible. The light blue outlined my face like an accessory. Trust me when I say I’m not complaining. I couldn’t be happier with the results.


	7. Chapter 5:

After my haircut was done, I asked Koujaku to bag the hair up for me. In spite of the odd look he gave, he did so without protest. Afterwards, I set off on my merry way. 

“What time is it, Orio?” 

“3 in the afternoon,” I hear the AllMate reply. 

Oh, nuts… I’m going to have to pull an all-nighter in order to get at least one AllMate done tonight. 

Despite the lack of requests, a job is a job. I need to keep a good supply, in case somebody comes to me, looking for one without detailed description. So far, I have about 20 in stalk; all different in appearance and modes. 

If the buyer doesn’t like the voice, or personality an AllMate has, they can ask for it to be changed. It comes with my ‘friendly package’. I kid you not. That’s what it’s actually called…

I was 15, okay? It sounded good at the time!

“That short-cut sounds good right about now,” I sigh. “Which way do I need to go?”

“Following the alleys to your right will lead you straight to it,” Oreo says. “Be cautious, Anna. Strange people, good and bad, frequently linger here.” 

Yeah, yeah, yeah- I know! I’m one of those strange people.

Though not part of the mafia or any gangster team, I work with both. Repairing AllMates in exchange for food or money is the bulk of it. But believe it or not, I have two friends that are knee-deep in the shit. They are rather…obscure. Still, they’re still friends. If you live alone for as long as me, you become desperate. Therefore, I couldn’t care less what they did in their free time. They approached me first about 2 years ago- and since then, our friendship has only grown. 

Yes, they are customers. Yes, I did design their AllMates. Their requests were interesting, to say the least; certainly one of a kind. I never had to create a snake or a lion AllMate before that time… I don’t regret it. They turned out beautifully, and were worth quite a bit. 

I glance upward as I pass down the alley. I can spot a few stairwells, and clothes left out to dry. But other than this, I can hardly see anything at all, due to how close the buildings were. The roofs nearly touched each other, leaving only a small strip of sky to observe. 

“Anna,” Orio addressed. 

I look towards him with a hum, but I catch the sight of familiar faces before my eyes reach him. 

Those girls from the barber shop… What the Hell were they doing here? Did they follow me?!

“This will teach you a lesson,” the taller girl hissed. She pressed one hand against her knuckles, cracking them loud enough for me to hear. 

“Koujaku-senpai is ours,” the other barked. She held a metal bat in her hand. 

This wasn’t good. Two against one? I have a better chance of calling down my fairy fucking godmother…

Nonetheless, I set Orio down gently, and get into a fighting stance. I narrow my eyes at them, a somewhat serious and dark aura filling the alleyway. 

“Wha? S-she knows what she’s doing?” The armed girl pauses in her steps, and reaches forward to grab the other’s sleeve. “Hey, let’s get out of here.” 

The other girl watches me carefully. She clearly begins to rethink her actions, and slowly step back. 

“This isn’t over,” she vows. “Stay away from Koujaku-san! He wouldn’t want anything to do with filthy gutter trash like you.”

I don’t ease up on my stance until they disappear from sight. When they do, I relax my muscles. 

Crazy broads… If they like Koujaku so much, why don’t they ask him out? Did they have some kind of sick fantasy that one day HE will do that for them? No. It doesn’t work like that. 

You see, although you may show that you’re attracted to someone, they might not be interested until you display an amount of forwardness. Men like it when women are down to earth. Occasionally, if you manage to do it right, it could turn them on. Prancing around, hanging around him, and complimenting him every now and again, is sometimes not enough.

Okay, okay, I’m done with the dating advice. I’m sorry. Not that I’m qualified to do as much as think about giving dating advice… I have yet to be in one serious relationship. I dated a guy once- one of my former customers. That proved to be a complete waste of time. He claimed we were in a relationship, but he didn’t want to be around me for long periods of time, nor did he feel ‘comfortable’ with holding hands. Kissing wise, a peck on the cheek was as far as he wanted to go. He never stayed over for obvious reasons, but then again, he never asked if I wanted to come over to his house either. 

Never mind that nonsense. Back on the matter of the subject: my would-be attackers. I kind of wanted to put them in their place, or maybe make a bigger fool out of them. It’s been a while since I got into a good fight; even one that I’m bound to loose. But it’s okay. This only means that they’re chicken shits.

I scoop up Orio in my arms, and carry him securely. His arms gently hook around mine, and his face rests on my shoulder. 

Right. I should get home. It’s getting late, and I barely did anything worth being proud of today.

I take a deep breath in and continue walking. I ignore the soreness of my heels, and decide it is best not to take a breather until I’m home. I don’t want to run into any more trouble. God knows I’m a magnet for it.


	8. Chapter 6:

Home was…home, I suppose. There’s not much to say. Other than new graphite, nothing changed. 

The floor I lived on was utterly untouched, including the bed I failed to make this morning. The hole in the ceiling was the same, the room I slept in- an office- was just as dark and trashy looking, and the spot where I kept my box unwanted things was empty. 

Speaking of this office, I seriously needed to clean up a bit. Dust was commonplace. I wasn’t going to avoid it. But the furniture has been in the same places, rotting away, since I came to live here. Desks, a couch, and many seats littered the area. I moved a broken desk out of the way to place my mattress somewhere; but otherwise, the room looks just as it did 7 years ago. Sad, isn’t it? I’m the only one remotely looking after this building. It would appear that everyone else couldn’t care less about it. 

I like to think old places hold feelings and memories. Not to get all emotional, but I sometimes sit under the hole in the roof, gazing up at the night’s sky, and wonder what kind of feelings and/or memories this building would have… 

Would they be good feelings? Would it be happy that I’m here? Or would it be sad that it’s no longer in professional use? Would it be missing my dad, and the days that he spent working all hours here?

The truth is, I have no clue. That’s the fun part about it, though, right? You get the chance to use your imagination. There are so little opportunities to do that these days. That’s why I like my job too. I like to create things, and make people happy. Creating AllMates just made me feel…complete. 

Nerdy and senseless, I know. I’ve heard it all before. 

I collapse on my mattress, and sigh. I feel Orio sit on my stomach, and ultimately settle down with me. He curls into a small ball of fur, never closing his eyes, but looking relaxed nonetheless.

“Do you think things will get better,” I abruptly ask. 

I smooth down Orio’s fur, from the back of the neck to the base of his tail. My AllMate uses his small paws to mix my lower chest and stomach affectionately, in an attempt of comfort.

“I can’t say,” I hear him respond. “Hope is your biggest weapon in this kind of situation, Anna. If you believe things will get better, they eventually will.”

Words of wisdom, Orio…words of freaking wisdom. 

I smile to myself and close my eyes. I take in a small inhale, and lay here in boredom. Unintentionally, somewhere down the road, I find myself dreaming. And I somehow knew that I drifted off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this was a short one. I'll try to make the next chapter much longer.   
> Also, i apologize if any of the characters are OOC. I love DMMD but a few of the characters' personalities are difficult to get down.   
> Thanks for reading :)
> 
> <3 Cat


	9. Chapter 7:

I wake up to the sound of echoing pitter patter. The steps are slow and even, creating the same sound every time.

At first I ignore it. After all, nobody usually walks this far up the stairs. But then a thought had entered my mind.

What if someone WAS walking this far up the stairs? What then? 

What then? Well, let’s see… I’ll be caught, and I’ll probably be thrown in jail. Since I don’t have money for a layer, and I’m in an illegal business, I’m looking at 25 years behind bars with the tax of 800 dollars- if the judge is kind. Which, normally they are ruthless and have the lowest of tolerances. In the worst case scenario, I’d get 40 years in jail, a payment of $800, and the slight chance of parole.

My eyes snap open. 

40…years…in jail? No. NO! I’m not jail-bird material. I’ll never make it! 

I jump to my feet with Orio in hand, and dive behind a desk. I sit sideways, in the square nook a desk normally provides. I quickly move the chair forward to cover me better, but I’m unable to do it completely before someone gets to the last flight of stairs. 

Shit. If they walk half way around the room, they’ll spot me for sure. As I said before, I sort of stick out like a sore thumb. 

“Mistress, I have arrived!” 

Mistress? The Hell…?

My eyebrows furrow. The sound of the boy’s footsteps reach where I am, the sound of knocking on the wood following after. 

“Mistress? Why are you hiding? Is someone here?” 

Yes; you’re here! I don’t know who the fuck you are. Of course I’m hiding! 

I cautiously peer around the desk. I expected to see an army of policemen, or Yakuza, but no. It was a boy. It was a boy in a gas-mask nonetheless. 

His wardrobe consisted of a white trench coat and a yellow scarf. Under his coat was a white button-up shirt, which was quite short, and revealed a little of his abdomen. In addition, he had plain gray pants on. He also wore white boots with black laces, and had white gloves to cover both hands. 

The sight of the stranger is unnerving, especially considering he was wearing a gas mask! Did he have poison on him? Was he here to smoke me out? Oh my God! He wasn’t here to kidnap me, was he? In the type of business I get involved in, it’s not as uncommon as you think. 

“Who are you?!” 

I couldn’t see his facial expression. Though, since his hand reached behind his head, she’d guess it was full of anxiety. 

“Don’t panic, Mistress. I mean you no harm! My name is Clear.” 

…Clear? That was a surprisingly innocent name for a boy such as himself. 

“How did you find me? Nobody, not even Yakuza, know where I live…”

His hand outstretched towards me. In a jolly manner, he seemed to be offering me a hand. 

I take it, and feel him help me to my feet. His grip was soft, unharmful to place a better word. It made me all the more suspicious of his intent. 

“I sensed you.” 

He…sensed me? 

Orio’s panda ear twitched. He moved from my upper arm to around the front of my neck, hanging loosely. He didn’t say anything, as he’s normally a silent AllMate. But even his lack of words don’t ease my worries. 

“Okay,” I sigh. I watch Clear carefully, and step around him. His head follows me, which isn’t at all disturbing… Oh no, why would it be? “No offense, but what do you want?” 

Clear placed a hand to his masked chin. “Want…? I don’t want anything.” Setting his hand down, he placed both palms together. “I’ve come to take you to Master!” 

Who was this person he suddenly brought up? Is he someone like Clear? Or…or was Clear sent by a rivaling Yakuza group? 

Turning to Orio, he faced me in return. Orio wasn’t objecting to anything Clear was saying, so perhaps he was telling the truth. But do I seriously want to take such a chance? This world isn’t safe. Nothing about it is safe. Danger is around every corner, waiting to pounce on its next victim. I know that from experience and common sense.

My body had apparently already made the decision. I nod once. Then, my voice automatically answers.

“Okay, let’s go.” 

The boy with white layered hair gasped with glee, unexpectedly taking my hand and dragging me in a direction. The fire escape to the far left was open, for a quick getaway. Clear saw this as an opportunity, it would seem. 

“Follow me, Mistress,” he chirps. He starts to climb up the fire escape, ascending towards the top of the building. I reluctantly do as he asks, and we meet on the roof before long.

“Hold on tight, Mistress! I don’t want to drop you.” 

‘Drop you’? What did he mean by- JESUS CHRIST! 

Before I could question or object, I was lifted in Clear’s arms. My weight made it so much easier for him to carry me. 

I’m not sure if I like this. This didn’t feel right. We were high in the air as it was, and now this…? What was going through this guy’s head?!

“Hey, what are you doing?!” 

He ignored me, and proceeded to jump from rooftop to rooftop. 

I held onto him as tight as I could, my fingers clutching his white trench coat. My face is frozen with fear, the feeling of barf rising in my throat growing. 

He’s going to drop you, my gut yells. For some reason, without thinking straight, my mind instantly agrees. 

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!

“Traveling this way is much easier than by foot. We’re almost there.”

Almost there my ass! 

My eyes grew when looking down. Clear stood on the end of a large building, and was readying himself to jump across. Problem being, there was more than a yard distance between here and there. 

Don’t you dare…! 

Like a pouncing cat, Clear jumps. I scream as I feel the wind in my hair, and my stomach dropping. 

I close my eyes before I see the outcome- but am surprised when I don’t feel a collision. Clear is still running on rooftops, not even fazed by what just happened. 

How did he…? How could he…? Why?! 

“Down we go,” Clear announced. He steps to the edge of the roof, and takes one more step. 

For the second time, I felt my heart hit the pit of my stomach. But in the end of it, Clear is standing in front of a junk-shop. It was a rather familiar looking place, now that I’m getting a good look at it…

“Junk Shop Heibon,” I read aloud. The name jogs a memory moments after I say the name. “Oh.” 

“Yes, Master is in there,” Clear says.

Did he mean the owner of the shop? I wouldn’t have guessed his ‘Master’ owned a place like this. I was actually expecting to be dropped off at a group of bloodthirsty criminals. Thank God this isn’t the case!

I feel the boy put me down, setting me on my feet gently. I keep an arm around him just in case, which proves to be smart. My vision spins the instant I’m on my feet. 

“Uugh…” I close my eyes and hold my head. 

“I’m sorry! I did something wrong, didn’t I? Please forgive me!” 

I turn to Clear, whom is hanging his head. Sorrow and regret fills his voice, making it seem almost foreign to my ears. 

“Huh…? Oh no, you didn’t do anything wrong!” I hold my hands up, and watch the masked boy come to life with joy.

Although I don’t see anything surprising, I blink and flinch when he raises his head. I imagine a smile was on his face; of course, not confirmed. 

“That makes me so happy! Come, come, Master is waiting!” Clear takes my hand again and guides me towards the shop’s opening. 

We enter the place, and stand by the doorway for a few minutes. Finally, a recognizable face could be spotted at the reception desk. He looks like he’s packing up for the night.

“Master~!” 

The boy with blue hair turns to us. His face immediately resembles something cross between shock and worry. 

“Clear! What are you doing here?”

The boy beside me giggles. “I brought Mistress! Mistress,” he gestures to me, and then to the boy in front of us, “this is Master, Aoba-san! Master, this is Mistress, Anna-san!”

Aoba? Wasn’t he one of the survivors from Platinum Jail a year ago? I think I recall seeing the name in the papers. 

Hold on. Since when did I give out my name to this guy? How did he know my name was ‘Anna’?!

Aoba smiles nervously. “Yes, we’ve already met.” He pauses as if a thought comes to mind. He looks at me, and then at Clear. Confusion crosses his face. “Did you say ‘Mistress’?”

A blush forms across my face. I don’t have the courage to pipe up, despite how much I wanted to. 

No, it’s not like that! We’ve never met before today, I swear!

“Yes.” The white haired boy nodded once. 

“I thought you only called me Master,” Aoba murmured. 

“Yes. Master is Master, but Mistress is Mistress.” 

I’m completely lost in this conversation. At least allow me to get one thing straight. This ‘Master’ guy…was Aoba? NOT someone else? 

I uneasily shifted the weight form one foot to the other. I shove my hands in my teal colored jacket, my blue eyes trailing across the floor. 

“Um, I think you got me mixed with someone else,” I say. 

Clear and Aoba turn to me in almost perfect unison. Aoba looked as if he were about to say something. But he holds back his words hesitantly. In his place, Clear speaks: 

“There is no mistake. Your voice is indisputably the same as the time you called for me.”

When did I call for him? I don’t know him, as I’ve said before, and I sure as Hell wouldn’t be calling for someone. I know how to deal with my issues on my own.

“Would that mean she has Scrap as well?” Aoba’s words timidly trailed off. As if uncertain of his own question, he averts his eyes from mine. 

“Hmm…I’m not sure,” Clear sighs. “I know for certain that it is similar…”

Scrap? What the fuck was that? It sounded like the name to an amateur Rib team.

A slightly annoyed expression seeps into my face. I take a deep breath in, trying my best to compose myself. When I’m ready, I pinch the bridge of my nose. With my eyes still looking at the two boys in front of me, my eyebrows rise. 

“Mind explaining what you’re talking about? You tell me you have the right person, but I don’t have the slightest clue what you’re saying. I’ve never heard of Scrap before now; and I definitely never met either of you before today. I’d like to know what’s going on. I think I have the right to know.” 

Aoba studies my face. He himself doesn’t hold much of an expression. From what I can tell, he appears to be going through his own thoughts. 

“You’re right. I’m not good with explaining this sort of thing, but I know someone who is. If you’re still interested in answers, follow me.” 

Aoba gathers his things and passes the both of us. I follow behind him, Clear keeping up with me. Clear and I remain silent, as we don’t necessarily know what’s happening. But it’s obvious that Aoba was telling the truth. I had no reason not to believe what he says. The two of them could have hurt and/or killed me a long time ago. The fact that they didn’t led me to believe they are trustworthy. 

Well, no one is completely trusted in this day and age. Nobody can afford to take big risks… Ugh, you know what I mean. I’m sorry for the lack of clarification. I’m just confused. I’m confused, and I want my questions answered. Going through with this was the wisest choice I can make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of information for the plot is going to go into the next few chapters, so read carefully! :D 
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> <3 Cat


	10. Chapter 8:

Aoba apparently lived with his grandmother. The woman was named Tae. Old, grumpy, and not really a people-person, she was some kind of expert on what he and I ‘were’. 

I still didn’t really get it. What was I supposed to be? What was Scrap, and the clandestine atmosphere all about? Who exactly were we to hide from?

Nobody has actually said if we were hiding… As of now, it’s only a theory. But why else would everything be so secretive?

Patience. All in good time. Take a breather and relax, Anna.

Aoba was the first to enter a house. Said house was average looking. In between two other homes, there was hardly any space around the house. Yard space was all but unspeakable, yet the place still looked picturesque. 

So this is what it’s like to see a well-preserved house. It’s beautiful. 

Aoba glanced around quickly, looking for someone in particular warily. He closed the door once everyone was in the foyer, and took his shoes off at the door.

“Granny I’m ho-“

“STUPID GRANDSON!” 

Clear and I jump, both of us soon hiding behind Aoba. He wasn’t much braver, as he had to take a deep breath in, in order to enter the house more. 

I wait for another outburst, while quickly taking my shoes off as well. I keep them away from the other shoes out of respect, knowing that this isn’t my household. 

“Ah, so loud,” Aoba whined. His hand reached up to rub his left ear. 

“How many times do I have to tell you to lock the door?” An elderly woman with pink hair entered the hallway. 

She silenced herself from saying anything else, her eyes landing on me and Clear. Her mood slightly changed, though she maintained her strict appearance. 

“Tch, you could have said you brought guests! I’ll make food. You three, get in the kitchen.” 

Not wanting to make the lady any more upset, I complied as quickly as possible. Clear follows me like a puppy dog, his shoulders slumped.

Tae was in the kitchen by the time I sat down. She was putting something together; something I couldn’t identify. Whatever it was, it seemed to be some type of dough-based snack.

“Granny, there’s something we need to discuss with you,” Aoba finally said. 

Although the silence broke, making the area more comfortable, Tae was just as irritable as before. Not bothering to look back at us, she started to wash a large pan. 

“Help me set the table. We will talk then.” Turning to me and Clear, she gave a faint unexpected smile. “I’ll fetch you two some tea in a minute. Let me wash the pan first.”

No rush, lady. This is your house, after all. 

Despite the hospitality, I got an odd feeling that I was somehow an intruder. Could you blame me? It couldn’t be any more evident that Clear and I were unanticipated company. Yet, it would seem that Clear had met Tae before. I could see that the two shared an unspoken respect for one another. 

Like Tae said, about a minute later, tea was set in front of me. It was fresh from the looks of it. Steam was rolling off the surface, and there were no stains on the inside of the cup. 

What the freaking hell was this? It smelled nice. It looked disgusting though. Was it supposed to be green? Was this even tea? It looked like dirty water- maybe sewage water. Nah, it’s too transparent for sewage water…

“What’s wrong, dear? Don’t like green tea?” 

I gave the hostess a nervous smile. Taking the cup in my hands I bring it closer to my face. 

“Oh no, it smells wonderful. Forgive me if I don’t try it right away. I just haven’t had it before.” 

The elderly woman arched a brow. More wrinkles outlined her features as she did so.

“What kind of family were you raised in? No green tea… You go ahead and drink that right up. It’s good for you.” 

Is that why it didn’t look so good? It was good for me? That figures. I was never one for greens. Green tea is apparently no exception. But hey, I haven’t tried it yet. Who knows? I might come to like it. 

I allowed the steam to enter through my nose, practically unclogging my sinuses. I let the warmth of the cup seep into my palms, before finally bringing it to my lips. I took a hesitant sip. 

Wow, it was good! It was a bit bitter, but otherwise, it was the best thing since soda! Albeit, soda is expensive and not the easiest to come by, without getting the fake stuff. But I’ve had the pleasure of drinking it at least a couple times.

“Orio, you want to give it a try?” 

The panda leaned its head over my cup. He sniffs automatically, simulating a real animal, and his tongue dips into the tea. For a moment, he said nothing. 

“Green tea: made from Camellia leaves that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Several varieties of green tea exist, which differ substantially due to growing conditions, horticulture, production processing, and time of harvest. Health benefits include: improved brain capacity, less chance of cancer, and-”

My eyes grew and my hand went to cover Orio’s mouth. He stops speaking nearly right away. 

“Wow, wow slow down! I just asked if you wanted to try it.” I can’t fight a rising chuckle. 

When I’m sure Orio will honor my wishes and not continue, I let my hand off his mouth. The panda relaxes in my lap, resuming the state it was in before. 

“Your AllMate can drink liquids like that?” Aoba looks at Orio in amazement. Reflexively, his eyes travel to his own AllMate- a small dark blue, long haired, dog.

“Sure he can! He can eat too. I made him like that.” I patted Orio’s head, before going in to scratch the part behind his ear.   
With not much of a reaction, Orio simply lets it happen contently. Like he always does, his other ear twitches uncontrollably as I continue to pamper him.

“You MADE him?” 

I nod. Reaching into one of my pockets, I toss him a card. Aoba catches it with ease, and glances down at it. 

“I see… That would explain the items you brought in today.” 

Tae obliviously interrupts our conversation by placing a large plate in the middle of the table. It was stacked with…something. They looked like doughnuts, but then again, they didn’t. They resembled small circular loaves of bread more than anything else.

“What is it?” I reach for one of the steamy treats. I need to put it down moments after I pick it up, due to how hot it was. 

“Melon Pan,” Tae takes a seat at the table, at the end away from everyone else. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had this before either.” 

I don’t answer her out of fear of being offensive. Instead, I sniffed the piece I had, taking in the sugary and starchy smell. When ready, I bit into it.

The outer layer is crispy and sugary. But the inside was my favorite part. It was regular warm, freshly made, bread. The inside was soft and melted in your mouth easily. 

This was good too. It was a bit sweet for my pallet. Even so, it was delightful. 

“Granny.” Aoba earned his grandmother’s attention. The woman stared back at him, her eyes all but empty. “Is it possible that there could have been another person like me created?” 

Created?

I bite on my lower lip as I try to follow the conversation. I turn to see that Tae had stopped eating. She brought her food back to the plate in front of her, a small sigh leaving her lips. Her eyes scanned the room, observing all faces. Her eyes linger on me for a while longer, perceptiveness glistening in each pupil. Finally, her attention goes back to Aoba.

“You’re certain?” 

Aoba looked at Clear. The masked boy nods, keeping his hands in his lap politely. 

“Yes. Although not exactly the same, Master and Mistress share analogous components. I knew this when I sensed Mistress for the first time. At first, I thought it was Aoba-san. But the voice I heard was different. I realized that it couldn’t be Aoba-san, so I followed it until I found Mistress.” 

We share ‘analogous components’? What the heck did that even mean?!

I kept silent, hoping that someone would clear the air for me without a request. I look around the table for a farther explanation. 

“Young lady,” Tae faced me grimly. Her eyebrows turned downward, a completely serious tone coming next: “Have you heard of a man called Toue?”

Heard of him?! Who hasn’t heard of that rich, pompous, bastard?! Besides the fact that he’s a selfish and arrogant prick, he basically took everything from me. He took my home, my father’s business, all the money my father made; everything!

“Heard of him would be an immense understatement.” I sip my tea again in an attempt to calm my nerves. Meanwhile, everyone exchanged glances. 

“You honestly don’t know.” Aoba whispers this while looking into his lap. His eyes are filled with sorrow, among other emotions that I couldn’t place. 

“What is it that I should know? Does he have something to do with that Scar- er- Scrap, thing?” 

It would appear so. From the looks I received from those who were able to give visible looks, it would seem that I was out of the loop. Indeed, very much out of the loop…


	11. Chapter 9:

By the end of it all, I couldn’t believe my ears. They explained everything they could. Which, needless to say, is a lot. 

She told me about the labs, ‘Scrap’, and yes- Toue. According to her, he was a murderous taint, whom only cared for his success, and the welfare of himself. He was described as a power-crazy madman that wanted to put others under mind control, and take over the world. That’s the only reason why Aoba and I were created. Essentially, Toue was my biological father. Without him or his team of scientists, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.

If this was true, was I even human? Could I be considered a human? 

With my head pointed down, I use my fingers to pet Orio. The feeling of his fur calms me down a little, but a large portion of anger lingers with me. 

“Anna,” Aoba addressed my name, concern written on his face. It was laced heavily through his voice as well. 

“I’m…fine. It’s just a lot to take in.” My head rose to face him directly. “If what you’re saying is true, I never had parents or a brother. All my childhood memories aren’t real, and I’m hardly human. It’s not exactly an everyday crisis.”

Since I was created, not born, most of my memories were fabricated- according to them, anyway. Apparently I needed to wholeheartedly believe that I was a normal girl, growing up in a fucked up society, while Toue and his goons track my every move.

Yes, that would mean I’ve been under a microscope since infancy. It’s weird, to put it mildly. But what was even weirder was the idea that they were just…watching. They weren’t after me, or trying to kill me. They were simply observing. For what? Who the fuck knows? 

They didn’t think I’d be all happy, smiles and roses, did they? ‘Oh, your father- if you could call him that- is a psychopathic power-mongrel that created you to take over all of mankind. But hey, we’ve got Melon Pan and green tea, so all’s well!’ No. That’s not realistic by any stretch of the imagination. 

Getting up from the table, I sighed. Orio went to my shoulder, where he clung onto me like he normally does.

“I should head home, or something. It’s been a rough day.” 

“You should stay with us,” Tae suggested. “Take the guest room upstairs.” 

They were offering me a place to stay? Here? A musty old building, matched with an uncomfortable mattress on the floor, is about as homey as I’ve ever experienced since early childhood. To be completely honest, I’m not sure if I was okay sleeping in a place like this. 

KNOCK, KNOCK

Tae got up, intending to answer the door, but Aoba beat her to it. 

“I’ll get it.” 

The old woman scowled. Getting to her feet anyway, she sent her grandson a look that could kill. 

“I can get it! Does it look like I’m that old?” 

Tae exited the kitchen, walking towards the front door. Said door opened a few moments later, following her dull voice: 

“Oh, it’s just you. Come in, I just made Mellon Pan.”

I try to mind my own business and keep my eyes down. Despite my physical efforts, my mind starts to wonder. Before I know it, possibilities and people that I might know are running through my head. Males, females, friends; the whole nine yards. 

“Thank you, Tae-san.” 

Upon hearing the reply, my body stiffens. I still don’t look up, but I may know who this guest is…

Footsteps enter the kitchen, and then suddenly stop. I hesitantly look up, and meet with red eyes. 

It is him.

“Koujaku,” Aoba smiles at the sight of him, “It’s been a long time! What are you doing here?” 

The man turns his gaze from me to Aoba. With a smile resembling the blue haired boy’s, a small chuckle leaves his mouth. From behind, Koujaku represents a small white box, garnished with a golden bow. From this angle, it looked like a gift box.

“Happy birthday, Aoba-san.” 

Happy…birthday? It was his birthday today? 

My eyes look to Aoba. His expression is relaxed, if not mixed with slight shock. 

“Ah, Koujaku, you didn’t have to.” He approaches to gently take the present from the taller man. He stares down at it for a moment, and then looks as if he had remembered something. 

Aoba raises his head, taking a step back to politely gesture to me. “Oh, this is Anna. She is going to be staying with us for a while.” 

Koujaku bobs his head in my direction. Either pretending that we’ve never met, or thinking this a proper introduction, he smiles. 

“It’s a pleasure. My name is Koujaku.” 

Maybe he doesn’t want to tell? If so, why not? Or…did he not remember me? 

From the expression on his face, I’d think he recognized who I was. We only met a few hours ago. And when he saw me just now, he appeared to be surprised. Then again, he has a shit load of customers. There could be the chance that I’m wrong. 

“Likewise,” I finally reply. I avert my eyes soon after, and sip my drink after. 

“Anna,” Orio speaks. 

His sudden voice almost makes me gag on my tea. I place the cup down, and give my full attention to my AllMate. 

“It’s late. You should get some rest.”

With a quick peek out the kitchen window, I notice that the sky was darker. Though not quite night time, it’s getting pretty close. 

Orio is right. I know I took a nap earlier, but I should sleep on this new information. I hear that sleeping helps one remember and process. Not to mention, I doubt I could catch a Rhyme game tonight. The area I usually go to is a long ways from here. And if there were another arena, it isn’t like I’d know where it is. I’m new around here. 

If I play Rhyme, I do it for two reasons: for the fun of it, and because I can make money doing it. I don’t play it as much as I used to, but that’s because of Orio. And I can’t play it without him, because an AllMate is needed in Rhyme. 

One of the concerns of the sport was the ‘power’ aspect. The longer you play, and the longer you are in Rhyme, the more power is taken from your AllMate. For his sake, I began to pace myself. Well, that’s one of the reasons why I started to pace myself. Like any ‘game’ that you can win money off of, it’s addicting. 

Some people can’t be helped. But since I noticed my mild addiction early on, I was able to tackle it easier. Occasionally, like days like this, I play it to take my mind off things. It’s also a good way to let off steam too. But, as said before, it’s unlikely I can catch a game.

I guess it’s a blessing in disguise. Though, I really, really, wanted to punch something right about now…

“I can carry Mistress to her room if she’d like,” Clear offers. 

He must have seen my underwhelmed face, and figured I was too lazy to move. Still, the proposal was sweet to some extent. However, I’m fully capable of walking. I just need a minute. 

I just need a minute, my mind parrots back. It would seem that’s the popular excuse these days. 

“I’m all right. Thank you, Clear.” I stand up with Orio clinging to the front of my waist. 

Whist doing this, I catch the puzzled look that Koujaku had. He glances between me and Clear, and then at Aoba. Aoba catches my eyes as well, and lets out a weary sigh. 

“I’ll explain everything to him. It’s okay, he was there too.” 

‘There’ was referring to the incident; the destruction of Platinum Jail. Aoba explained that there were 5 of them in total, who escaped the havoc in the nick of time. I presume it would make sense that Koujaku was a part of it as well. I mean, how else would he and Aoba know each other? Childhood friends? It could be possible. But the Toue incident was more likely. 

I nod to Aoba and direct my attention to Tae-san. 

“Thank you for everything. Goodnight.” 

She nods firmly, like I did to Aoba. Her face was hard like stone, setting a more serious atmosphere.

“You rest well, Anna.”

I expected her voice to match her expression, but much to my surprise, it was soft. The tone was understanding and sympathetic. For a moment, I wanted to describe it as ‘motherly’. 

'Perhaps I can describe it like that.'


	12. Chapter 10:

I couldn’t sleep. I was too wound up from earlier. I’m not talking about the sugar in the Mellon Pan, although it may have contributed a bit. I’m talking about what I was told. 

No matter what, my mind would go back to what they said. Soon enough, I got tired of mulling things over, and tried to entertain myself. Tried is the key word. 

I sighed and stroked Orio’s fur. I was lying on the bed with a bored expression. Counting the tiles on the ceiling was the only thing that was keeping me from going batty.

“Rhyme is starting behind Junk Shop Heibon in 30 minutes. If you leave now, you may be able to catch the next fight.” 

Perking up immediately, a smile came to my face. I glanced at the time, realizing how early in the morning it was. To be precise, it was 3am. 

I know I shouldn’t. But when I’m bored to death like this, I’ll take anything that may or may not be fun. Rhyme was sounding like a God-sent right now.

“Set a timer and make sure I’m not late, will you Orio?” 

“Timer setting; 29 minutes and 22 seconds.”

Getting up with AllMate in hand, I walked over to the bedroom door. I peered through the crack, and saw that the lights downstairs were still on. That meant someone was awake right now, or has been awake to make sure I don’t go anywhere. Sneaky… 

My eyes travel to the bedroom window. It was a balcony, but it will do…for what I have in mind, that is. 

~

I jogged to the junk shop, panting slightly. There was a massive crowd out back. There had to be at least 30 people here, not counting obvious players or myself. People waved money in the air like crazy, screaming their heads off. 

I shoved my way to the front of the group, and hold Orio close. Some tried to shove back, but most were preoccupied as it was. Taking bets, drinking, and eating food were what the crowd was good for. That’s not counting the many bruises you’ll get if you’re not careful, or a possible bloody lip. 

“Is there not one person that will take on our victor?” The referee spoke through the microphone, a little worry showing through his voice.

That’s right. No fight, no money; no game. It was the referee and the gamblers’ nightmare come to life. 

The man with the mic scanned the people in front. Finally, he sees me. I nod, telling him I’ll give it a go. He smiles and immediately goes to tell the news. 

“We are in luck! A brave lady has decided to step up to the plate!” 

He helps me on stage, away from the blood thirsty savages known as ‘other people’. Guiding me towards the protective fence, he opens the entrance and shoves me inside. I take my place across from my foe, whom was still in Rhyme at the moment. 

All I could make out were his clothes. But even then they were unclear. Green, black and yellow were mixed in. I knew that for sure. 

“Ready? Set?! GO!” 

The helmet automatically placed itself on my head. I lean back into my seat, and slowly allow Rhyme to take me to the imaginary battle field. Touch and all sense of the outside world melted away. I was standing now, in a somewhat pixelated room. The sky was a solid pale blue- unrealistic to say the least. The green floor illuminated the never-ending room, allowing me to see where I was. 

Orio appeared beside me, his panda form shifted. He was now a very tall young man, with abdomen-long purple hair and a chalky complexion. He wore a long black trench coat, dark grey pants, and although he had no shirt on, his trench coat covered most of the area. A loose simple black necklace wrapped around his neck four times, despite the longest loop coming down to his mid-chest. Instead of having large black eyes, they were almond shaped and dark brown- almost black. His eyes had no whites.

The enemy hasn’t attacked yet. But I can see him across the way. Features were still hard to see. But his AllMate wasn’t. It was a white rabbit with red boxing gloves. It floated beside the owner, but then doubled in mass. Six of them stared me down, waiting for orders. 

'Oh my God…they are adorable!' 

I shake my head to clear it. I put on a war face, and take a seat. It was by my control station.

I check the stats, and see just how powerful my enemy is. From what I can tell, he’s experienced, and has only been beaten in combat once. The name of the character was ‘SlyBlue’. And apparently, the match was without basic Rhyme rules; meaning if you get hurt in the game, you get hurt in real life. 

“Rough Rabbit,” I parrot from the screen. “That’s familiar…” 

It was a Rhyme Rib Team; a damn strong one too. If I was up against one of those, then I need to be careful. 

I check my map and see six red dots. They blink and inch closer, telling me that I was already under attack. 

“Orio,” I call. 

He nods and steps in front of me. Holding out his hand, a bright black orb began to glow in his palm. It fired, hitting more than half of the rabbits. They retreated under orders, which made my eyebrows furrow. 

He’s seeing what my AllMate is capable of. Smart. 

“Anna,” Orio turned his head to me, and then at the opponent. 

I raised my head to see what was happening, and watched as the rabbits from earlier were forming a shape. At first, they stood on each other. Then rows were created- and got higher…and higher…and higher still. And finally, I was looking at the finishing product: one giant rabbit. 

“That’s new,” I whisper. 

“Anna,” Orio addressed again. “Awaiting command.” 

From the looks of it, my competitor relied on his AllMates more than his brain. He used tactic, but was far too straightforward. It was like he expected this to be easy. Therefore, his army of rabbits only knew how to do one thing; take orders. They need to work together. Clearly, one rabbit couldn’t make much damage. They came in groups of tens- or in this case, hundreds. 

They needed to be separated or destroyed. Either one will make this guy defenseless, thus losing the game. 

“Okay, I have an idea. Orio: voltage shield.”

The AllMate nodded, turning to face the large rabbit. Within minutes, a lilac colored force field covered me and Orio. It was a rather large shield, but it would do. It would do perfectly. 

Just like I expected, the rabbit tried to attack. But on contact, the rabbits fired were heavily electrocuted. The ones that were harmed disappeared, much to my pleasure.

The mild less beast attempted another attack- but it ended the same. Right there my challenger lost at least 80 of his minions. Keep this up and there will be nothing left.

I can’t afford the rival to come up with a Plan B. No chances. He’s going down.

“Orio: Scarface Set.” 

“Understood.” 

Once the shield dropped, two large mechanical guns formed in Orio’s hands. 

Say hello to my little friend!

Orio fired. More rabbits were picked off one by one. Each bullet that went off, a component disappeared. So, I got another brilliant idea… You know what they say. Go big or go home. 

“Aim at the enemy,” I command. 

My AllMate gives me a small side-glance, but complies. 

The other Rhyme player covered his face as he was hit. The bullets won’t actually hurt him. If anything, it will feel like he’s being attacked by a bunch of flying pin-balls.

The foe reached up to signal his companions. On que, the rabbits got into a single-file line, their boxing gloves connecting. Light blue sparks radiated off the gloves, each rabbit soon lighting up a bright green color.

The rabbit in the front was the last to charge. A bright green ray formed, and sounded off, directed at Orio. It was a perfect shot. Given that he was wide open, there was only one outcome. 

He was hit. It wasn’t a love-tap either. He was down. 

Running over to Orio, I knelt down. 

Please be okay, please be okay!

I placed a hand on his face, a small tear sliding down my cheek. Orio’s eyes gradually closed, and his body fell limp. And although I clearly lost the game, we were still in Rhyme.   
Good. 

“You…you bastard,” I hissed.

Raising my face, I stand up. With my fists clenched I take a step forward. A pink electric shock ran through the ground, making the artificial room shake. My fists radiated a similar pink shade, as well as both of my eyes.

He will pay. I don’t care how. But he will PAY.

Like a second nature, I snapped my wrist to a side. The computers and glass walls that surrounded the enemy were ripped from the ground, and tossed to the side like tumbleweed. This left a boy, not much younger than me, sitting in a chair unprotected. 

I approached him steadily. The entire room flicked as I walked, and even more so as I grew angrier. 

Without knowing what I was doing, I planted my feet firmly on the ground. A crack began to form from my foot towards the boy. I watch as he ducks out of the way just in time, and stand his ground. 

In a glow of pink and purple, the ceiling above him collapsed. Again, he ducked out of the way, but this time tried to charge at me. I eye a large piece of rubble, and squint my eyes. It moves on its own, hitting the boy from the side. Both go flying, and land on the ground in a horrible collision. 

A pink energy ball formed at my finger-tips. The energy radiating off it forced my hair to snap back and forth- simulating a strong gust of wind. And when I released it, the boy across the way was hit a second time. He soared through the sky, landing on his back yards from where he originally was. I don’t see him move afterwards. 

Satisfied, I tilt my head back. Closing my eyes, I sigh wearily. 

“Destroy.” 

And everything turned white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the turning point in the book, everyone. From here on in, its official storyline! ^_^   
> Hope you're enjoying it so far.
> 
> <3 Cat


	13. Chapter 11:

Mistress, a voice echoes. I don’t answer it. I continue to lay where I was, too tired to do anything else. Mistress, it calls again. This time it’s less distant. It’s like the voice was getting closer. 

My eyes slowly open. An outline of a person hangs over me like a cloud. I could make out a gas mask, and knew who it was almost immediately. 

“Clear,” my hoarse voice addresses. 

“Yes, Mistress. I arrived as quickly as I could.” He places a gentle gloved hand at the side of my face. He uses his thumb to move hair out of the way. “Mistress… Why are you laying here? Are you hurt?”

I shook my head no. I attempt to stand up, but soon find out I have no strength in my legs. My limbs feel heavy, like they turned into weights. 

“I can’t get up,” I say. 

Clear shifts something that was over his shoulder. I squint my eyes to get a better look, and recognize him just from the clothes he wore. It was my Rhyme opponent. 

“Noiz-san is sleeping. I am going to carry you now, Mistress.” 

I assume that’s his name: Noiz. Along with this, I also presume that they know each other. Why else would Clear bother? Unless, he was unnecessarily generous… If my thoughts are correct, then he’s a special case.

Shifting the boy on his shoulder, Clear gently picked me up. But unlike slugging me over his other shoulder, he held me civilly with one arm. One…arm.

God I needed to fix how skinny I was. I’ve said it a million times before, and I’ll say it again. I can’t walk around looking like a sack of bones. You can’t see my rib-cage if I lift my arms or anything, but it can’t be any more obvious that I’m underweight. 

My head turned to the boy Clear was carrying. After studying his face, I could make out more details. 

He was a tall, slender man. Strawberry blonde hair poked out of his hat, and his skin was quite pale. I also took notice of how many piercings he had, and the bandages wrapped around both of his hands. To be honest, it made me wonder if he was a delinquent or not. If so, then that explains what I learned about him in Rhyme- no to mention the bandages and piercings. Those were a given. 

I couldn’t really see much of his outfit. Though I can tell he had a few layers to his clothes: a dark navy and white collared shirt, with a long sleeved black undershirt, and a green tie that was currently untucked. From here I could see various accessories with a Usagimodoki pattern imprinted on them, such as his belt and his hat. Speaking of hat; it had a woolen under-layer, a rabbit pattern, and one smiley face pin. The pin itself stuck out like a sore thumb, in size and design- made to have sharp teeth and blood bellow its smiling mouth.

What a character…

“You know this guy?”

Clear hums to acknowledge my sudden question. “Yes. Noiz-san helped us in Oval Tower.”

Wow. I meet Aoba, and BOOM. I’m destined to meet the rest of the Oval Tower survivors before the week is out. Aren’t I just a lucky gal? Maybe by the end of this, I can get autographs too.

I let my head lower to Clear’s shoulder. A wary sigh escapes my mouth. 

“I came here to escape that depressing crap, and what do I do? I run into someone who was involved in that depressing crap.” 

Glancing down, I realize that Orio was latched onto Clear’s left leg. He looks up at me, and blinks. I suppose this was his way of letting me know he was okay? 

Ugh… How am I going to forgive myself? I know that Rhyme can hurt my AllMate, so what do I do? I play Rhyme. It’s my fault that he could have gotten hurt. 

“What time is it,” I ask. 

“5:12am,” Orio promptly replies. 

Tired. Why was I so tired? Could it be the result of what happened? 

…What exactly DID happen? I remember bits and pieces. After Orio was hurt, I got angry. Then I did something. I recall bright flashes of pink and purple. I think I remember attacking that guy ‘Noiz’ too. But after that- nothing. My mind draws a blank.

“Mistress, you should rest,” Clear says. “I will take you to Aoba-san.” 

See? Even he can tell how exhausted I am.

Perhaps taking a nap wouldn’t be such a bad thing. I mean, I don’t want to look like I just waltzed in the middle of a Rib fight when we get back to Aoba’s house. His friend, Koujaku, is probably still there. I will be surprised if he isn’t. Let’s not fail to mention the scolding I’m in for when Tae has me in her sights. I’ve already begun to formulate my 4 part apology.

My eyes fall shut, and a comfortable breath exits through my nose. I take in the scent of Clear’s hair, and am surprised to detect shampoo. After all, I was told that he was a robot. Logically, I thought that robots couldn’t shower.

Hum… The more you know, I guess.


	14. Quick Disclaimer:

I give credit to the DMMD Wiki for the character descriptions (clothes, hair colors, heights, etc). The only reason why i didn't really change anything in this story, is because i'm trying to keep the characters as accurately presented as possible! Thanks for reading, as always :D

<3 Cat


	15. Chapter 12:

I woke up in a bed. Warm covers were over me, stopping at my shoulders, and a fluffy pillow propped my head up. My fingers twitched at my side, and I forced my eyes open. I saw Orio leaning over me, sniffing my face. 

I know you might think Orio is more of a dog than a panda. But that’s because Orio is the first of his kind. Since that’s so, when me and my fa-… I mean, when I made him, I had to mix different species of animals together. I chose a sloth, a dog, and a cat, as the main characteristic components. In the end, I ended up with Orio.

He’s the closest thing to a panda I could create. And I’m happy with him. I wouldn’t change him for the world. 

“Anna,” Orio speaks, “You have been in bed from 6am to 1 in the afternoon. Are you feeling satisfactory?” 

I smile and reach up to pet him. I use my fingers to itch his face and the spot behind his ear. The response is cute as always. He sits down on my chest, and leans affectionately into my hand. 

“I’m fine. What about you, tough guy? You had quite a heavy hit. I should check up on you later.”

‘I should check up on you’, meaning take a look at his components and data-base. Think of this as a visit from the Vet. I normally do this every four or five months, but I want to make sure he’s all right. You know; safe from viruses or bugs. Like all electronic devises, it can be possible- especially after playing Rhyme. 

Carefully picking up Orio, I slide out of bed. I place him back on the mattress, and stretch. I’m not as stiff as I expected my body to be. But I’m definitely still sore. 

I shouldn’t be sore from only one game. What the Hell did I do to messed myself up so bad?

I roll my shoulders, earning popping and snapping sounds in return. I do the same for my neck, and sigh with relief. 

Is it really 1 in the afternoon? Jesus. 

My stomach growls at my thoughts. It reminds me that I haven’t had anything to eat since the Mellon Pan last night. And immediately, I’m compelled to go downstairs. 

I don’t know if I’m ready to face everyone just yet. I expect that Clear brought that Noiz guy here too. If he hasn’t left yet, it’s going to be an adventure being near him. 

If I’m lucky enough, he’s just as clueless as I am, obtaining to what happened last night. If I’m not that fortunate- he’ll have tons of questions. They’ll probably be questions that I don’t know, or can’t answer. Not looking forward to that…

I glance back to the window in the bedroom. I choose to leave the house through there again. I know I should have taken someone with me, but let’s be realistic. I couldn’t sneak past anyone if I went downstairs. They would have heard the door open. 

I head towards the park near my house. Normally, a few good food venders set up shop around there. It’s a hot spot for travelers and tourists. As you most likely guessed, I go there for the food.

Because it’s so packed during this time of day, I didn’t bring Orio with me. I left him at Aoba’s house, where he’ll be safe. I told him to inform everyone that I’ll be back soon, if they came looking for me. Until then, he’s supposed to stay on my bed. 

Taking a sharp turn, I head straight for an alleyway. If I cut through here, I’ll get to the park in half the time. I wanted to get my food and go back to the house, before anyone noticed I’m gone. That means I need to keep a good pace. 

As I’m about to head out to the park entrance, my eyes drift to a side. I spot two familiar faces, standing practically next to me. They leaned against the building wall, to my right. 

“Long time no see,” I greet. 

The taller and broader friend, whose name was Trip, smiled at me. His friend and quite possibly twin, Virus, turned his head to me as well. Eventually, his lips twitched into a pleasant grin. 

Virus was the first to speak, as he has a habit of doing so: “Hello Ann.” 

“Hi Annie.” 

I shove my hands in my pockets and approach a little. Compared to me, both of them are much taller. But like I said before, the only real robust sort of person present was Trip. Even then, he wasn’t rippling muscles or intimidatingly strong. Virus on the other hand, had a slightly shorter and more average build. Being as considerably tall as he was, I couldn’t say he was scrawny. He could be described as ‘in the middle’, weight wise. 

When I said that Virus could very well be Trip’s twin, I wasn’t joking. Virus' hair is pale blonde, spiked up at the back with his bangs on the right. His eyes are bright blue and he wears a pair of glasses, which are black with green arms. As accessories, he wears a pair of earrings that match the ones Trip wears. His tie is checkered to compliment Trips' clothes, and he wears a fitted black suit, as well as white shoes.

Trip’s hair was of the same color, but different hairstyle. Most of his hair was swept back, as well as stacked up towards the back. His bangs were styled off to the left, framing his face naturally. Clothes wise, his outfit consisted of a plaid vest and pants with a white collared shirt underneath, a black tie, a white belt, black suspenders, and white boots.

I’ve known Trip and Virus for going on 6 years now. We all met when I was 17. Back then, my AllMate business was just getting started. I hardly had my feet off the ground. It was their requests that completely skyrocketed my career: a lion and an anaconda. Both had to be navy blue, with bright blue eyes. Since then, we were simply friends. Once in a while, we’d run into each other and share a brief conversation. However, generally it was a quick ‘hello’ and ‘how are you’. 

In return for the AllMates, those knuckleheads have kept me out of the police’s eye. They work with the police, so they figured they might as well. They’re the reason why I haven’t been thrown in jail yet. I suppose their debt is paid in full and then some…

“Whatcha doing here? I thought you guys would be someplace less crowded.” I look around for more emphasis. 

The streets were all but running wild with people. It took every bone in my body not to turn around, and yell at someone for nearly bumping into me. 

“We had business early this morning. We’ve been getting our bearings since,” Virus responds. “Fancy seeing you here as well, Ann. Normally you’re working on a new project or on your way to a customer.” 

True. I’ve been known to be a workaholic. Recently though, for reasons you know, I had to take a break from all that. I’m sure they realize my lack of ambition. It could be why Virus brought up the subject of work so suddenly. 

Continuing to smile, I reach to rub the back of my head. “Yeah, things could be better. I’m staying at a friend’s house.”

Their eyes lit up with interest almost instantly. Their smiles somewhat grew when hearing the news. 

“Oh? Who?” 

I shrug. “A guy named Aoba and his grandmother. It’s temporary, so I don’t think I’ll be staying for long.” 

That reminds me. Food. House. Orio. Aoba. Tae. Scolding… Crap, I’m going to be late!

“Oh, I just remembered; I have to go!” I was about to turn and run, but goodbyes come to mind. I give the two a salute. “See ya around.” 

They wave as I walk away, not caring to say anything more. Trip might have said ‘bye’, but honestly, with the commotion going on I could barely hear them talk. 

'Damn, this place is getting bad. Maybe I should skip out on the food and head back to Aoba’s. The lines to the venders must be massive!'

Fuck it. Let’s do this!


	16. Chapter 13:

I got back to the house with left overs in hand. My arms could barely carry the things that I bought and…well, stole… I’m poor, okay?! I could only buy a drink and a snack. I had no other choice. If I had more money, I would have considered being patriotic. 

I hoped through the window, and dumped the goods on the bed. I had three sealed take-out containers of fried dough, a lengthy box that held two corndogs, another container similar to the last which had a hamburger inside, and lastly, a giant green apple flavored slushy. 

I chuckled and sat down beside Orio. “It’s a good day.” 

Too bad I don’t have napkins. Some of this can be messy… But I have sauce! 

I had many individual packets of honey mustard, ketchup, barbeque, and ranch. I should have relish as well for the corn dogs, but it doesn’t matter if I don’t. It will be a bit of a shame, I’ll admit. But I don’t die if they forgot. 

I pick up the container holding the hamburger and open the lid. Just as I leaned down to take a bite, I hear a sound at the bedroom door.

KNOCK, KNOCK

Damn. 

I don’t even bother to hide the food. I sigh and put the hamburger back in the box. I wipe my hands on my pants, not caring if they get a little dirty. Then, I walk towards the door. Cracking it to see who it was, my eyes land on the guy Clear referred to as Noiz. He looks down at me with a somewhat solemn gaze, his green eyes cutting through mine easily. 

“Can I come in?” 

He wants to talk? Fine. Whatever. Let’s hear what he has to say! If it’s anything to piss me off, I’ll sick Orio on him. He may be slow and small, but his teeth are still sharp. 

I can’t say that much for his claws since I’m the one who usually carries him. Nonetheless, an animal is still an animal. If I give the word, this boy will be lucky to make it out without a deep scratch. 

I sigh and open the door all the way. Stepping to a side, I let him in. When he enters the room, I go back over to where I previously sat. Taking up my hamburger like before, I bring it to my mouth to take a bite. 

“I want another match.” 

My throat closes automatically, which almost makes me choke. I get the bite of hamburger down without much trouble. But when the chance presents itself, I allow my eyebrows to furrow.

“What?” My voice is sharp and low, not quite a growl, yet not quite a whisper. 

“I underestimated you right off the bat because you are female. The mentality threw me off. I want another match.” 

But…I lost! Was he seriously telling me that he wanted a re-match because he underestimated me? That doesn’t make any sense. A win is a win. It still goes on record as just that.

“But you won.”

He shook his head. “It registered as a draw.”

Really? Was the game inconclusive because Rhyme crashed, or was this really the ending score? A draw was almost unheard of. In a game like Rhyme, normally you either win or lose. Obviously, this was my first ‘draw’. And I assume this was his first draw as well. 

“Sorry, but no. It was a mistake to play after all this time. I should stick to what I do best.”

Noiz grips my arm, pulling me to my feet. I hardly have enough time to save the food in my lap. 

“H-hey!” 

“Come on. A game starts in an hour behind the Junk Shop. We can make it if we leave now.” 

He doesn’t give up does he? What part of “sorry but no” doesn’t he understand? Besides, I just got back! I was hungry and ready to settle in for the night.

I snatch Orio off the corner of the bed, and feel another tug from Noiz. He brings me down the stairwell, and towards the house exit. Thankfully, Aoba was by the front door to see us come into view. He stops Noiz and sends me a glance.

“What’s going on?” 

“Rhyme,” Noiz answers. His tone was plain, as if this situation was a hassle for him.

He wasn’t the one being dragged all over Hell’s creation, last time I checked. Don’t know why this would be a hassle for him. 

“She’s recovering over her last game. Give it a break, all right?” Aoba smiles pleasantly, trying to keep his words lighthearted. “That reminds me…aren’t you injured too, Noiz?” 

I hadn’t noticed before, but his neck was bandaged. Not only that, but I could see visible bruises here and there. One particular stood out, at the side of his face. It was near his right cheekbone. 

As much as I wanted to ask him how he was, my brain wouldn’t cooperate. It was inappropriate. Honestly, I think one of the reasons why I kept my mouth shut is for the fact: he’s a grown man. He can take care of himself without somebody breathing down his neck. However, I will agree with Aoba. He and I just crawled out of a rough game. We should take it easy for a day or two before even thinking about heading into Rhyme again.

“It’s a scratch. I’m fine,” Noiz murmurs. 

Aoba gives him a hard look. Despite Noiz’s attempts to look as intimidating, he somehow fails at it. He responds by letting go of me and sighing. His green eyes trail back over to me, and then move back to Aoba.   
Is he going to say something else? I’m no psychologist, but he looks a bit irritated. 

Finally, he grips my arm again. At first I think nothing got through to him. But I’m genuinely surprised to see him take me upstairs. 

We go back to the bedroom, where he gently pushes me to the edge of the bed.

“If we can’t fight, then I want to talk.” Noiz sits down beside where I previously sat. His eyes are still glued onto my face. Slowly but surely, his lips stretch into a grin. “I’m not going to bite.” 

Oh, I’m sure…

I roll my eyes and sit down next to him. I reach for my hamburger, stopping half way. My face turns to Noiz, who was scanning the boxes of food on the bed. If he were facing me, it would be unsurprising to see drool at the side of his mouth. I could hear his stomach growl from where I sat.

Did he want something to eat? 

I grab the nearest box and place it in his lap. I watch as his head turns to it, and then me in an almost suspicious glance. 

It’s not poisoned. Why the Hell is he giving me such a sour look? Didn’t he like fried dough? 

“It’s not hot, is it? If anything, it’s probably cold by now.” 

He opens the box and stares down at the street food. I leave him to his…whatever you call this. Thinking, being weird; both. I don’t bother thinking about it for too long. I start to eat my hamburger. 

“We’re you born with it too?” Noiz takes a piece of dough out of the box and eats it. He does it with a somewhat reluctant look, but keeps his eyes on me nonetheless. 

“Born with what?” 

“Don’t act dumb; you’re the one that made Rhyme crash. There’s only one other person I know that’s able to do that, and he’s not you.” 

Was he talking about Aoba and Scrap? Well, from what I hear I wasn’t ‘born’ with it necessarily. It’s a bit tough to explain since they couldn’t tell me much about the lab. They only said that I was another one of Toue’s experiments.

“I think I was created,” I answer. “I didn’t know until recently.” I look up from my food, my eyes cautiously traveling to Noiz. His food was somehow gone, and his full attention was on me. “Um…no hard feelings by the way.”

I was referring to what happened in Rhyme. I flew off the handle. It was uncalled for, and yet I hardly felt any regret for what I did. I say we both got our just deserts. I took my anger out on him, and in return, I lost at least half of my energy. In a way, we were both in the same boat; beaten up and tired. 

So in the end, hurting this guy didn’t benefit me one bit. If I had anything to be ashamed or guilty over, it would be that. 

“None taken.” 

I hear the sound of an opening lid and watch Noiz take the box of corndogs. The sight causes a slight smile to appear on my face, despite the fact that he didn’t buy the food. I didn’t offer it to him either, but let it slide. I mean, I still had a hamburger, a few boxes of fried dough, and a slushy to myself. I’d say that’s enough calories for me- however, that would be a lie.


	17. Chapter 14:

After I was done eating, I traveled downstairs. I was looking for Aoba in particular. I had a few questions I wanted to ask him. One of which happened to be about the Platinum Jail and Toue. 

I understand what happened that night, and know why Toe was jailed. But there was still something that I couldn’t wrap my head around… It wasn’t about this whole power thingamajig that I had going on- although it should be. It was more like curiosity about this ‘plan’.

Aoba and Tae said it was safer for me to stay with them. But if nobody has come after me yet, what makes them think someone will come after me now? Things didn’t add up. And because of this secrecy, I didn’t want to stay here any longer. 

As nice of a place this is, I wanted to get back into my old routine. I’m sure my mail is stocked with requests and urgent customers! I have a whole box of parts rusting away back at my place as well. I suppose what I’m trying to say is: I’ll feel more comfortable if I had more familiar surroundings. The idea that they’ve said they told me everything I need to know, but failed to explain where danger fit into the puzzle, was a little disturbing. 

The Alphas should be destroyed. Without those, I don’t see how Toe can get anywhere near me without making a physical visit. So, what exactly are they so afraid of? 

I make a turn into the kitchen, only to find it empty. I search the rest of the downstairs, but like the kitchen, I don’t see anyone. 

Could they be out? If so, where were they? 

You know what? I don’t need to ask permission to leave this damn place! If they’re not around to see me off, then that’s their fault!

I run upstairs and pick up Orio. He was sleeping right now and I didn’t feel like asking for directions. Besides, I know how to get home from here.

After looking around upstairs, I spot a bag. It’s leather, and designed to go over the shoulder. It was good enough, I guess. 

What? I already told you. I’m poor! It’s only one stupid bag. It isn’t like anyone is going to miss it. 

I place Orio inside, making sure to place him out of sight. After this, I slide the bag on. Surprisingly enough, it was comfortable. Orio didn’t even make the bag very heavy. 

Smiling, I head to the house’s exit. The front door was locked, but of course not from the outside. With two easy flick of the wrists, I’m outdoors. 

It’s not quite dark out, from what I could see. The sun was going down, though. There was still enough light outside to see where I was going. As long as I have that, I should be fine.

~

It was dark out. I was a few blocks from home, but already, Rib Teams were beginning to take to the streets. Along with them, punks and other weirdos hung out around street curbs. Some lingered in alleyways, and some were more out in the open. Needless to say, I avoided all of them like the plague. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about these types of people- they all have a temper and a mean sex-drive. If I give anyone the slightest indication that I was looking for trouble, my ass was in the thick of it. Just look down and keep moving; that’s the only way to not draw attention. 

Usually. If you look as unique as I do, keeping on the down-low can be difficult. In case you didn’t notice, I stick out like a sore thumb. And I could feel the eyes on me. They were glued to the front of my face, the back of my head, and overall made me uncomfortable. 

Maybe I should go back to Aoba’s house. I know I’m close to home, but if someone follows me there, I’m screwed. I can get mugged, beaten up, or worse. I could get a persistent pervert and his group of pals. God knows how many drunken idiots I’ve pummeled in my lifetime. 

I walk across the street and see my home across the way. It’s dark and desolate looking as usual; but that’s what keeps most people away. 

I open the door quietly and look around. I could hear voices on the first floor. They sounded like they were located towards the back, thankfully not upstairs. However…I wanted to know who was here. If it was the police, I’m dead. I can’t even think about sleeping with them roaming downstairs. But if it was a small group of delinquents, I can lock the office door and stay safe in there. 

I will admit to brief nosiness as well. Who wouldn’t be nosy in a situation like this? 

I place the bag I was carrying underneath the staircase up ahead. When I’m sure it’s out of sight and well camouflaged, I start to scale the wall. I head for the closed off room to the far left. That’s where the voices were coming from.

As I got closer, I realize these voices belong to many people. It wasn’t simply a conversation shared by two or three people. This was a group of people. 

“Where’s the girl that lives here?” 

“I told you, me and my boys don’t know who you’re talking about!”

I hear a harsh sound, and a grunt following after it. I peak through the crack of the door, making sure to make my breathing quieter. Through this small space, I can see four tied up bodies. All of them were teenage boys; no older than 16 years old. Three were lying on the ground, bruised and bloody. The fourth was being repeatedly punched and kicked. 

The attackers were tall men. Broad and strongly built, I’m guessing this was a Rib Team. But why the Hell would a Rib Team be looking for me? What did they WANT with me? 

“We can do this all goddamn night,” the interrogator hisses. He had a deep baritone voice, with hardly- if any- emotion to it. Said voice probably belonging to the man in the military-like trench coat, which was missing a right sleeve. 

Clearly the tallest man present, his features from the back were his boots, tan skin, and his long brown hair, which fading to auburn and red towards the end of the tips. Since I was observing him at such a terrible angle, I couldn’t see much appearance-wise. Overall, you could say he was an intimidating fellow. The mere glimpse of him made me wonder if I should get out of dodge.

“We were just smoking until you guys dropped by. I swear to God! We don’t know anything about a girl!”

They must be the jerks who paint graphite on the walls. I know it’s a bit crude to say it like this, but they’re learning their lesson. Maybe next time they will think twice about trespassing. 

The man from before scoffs loud enough that it catches my attention. He turns away from the boy, and glances to the person beside him. 

“They don’t want to talk? Fine. Get the truth out of them.”

Get the-?! Can’t he see the four of them can’t take much more of this treatment? If he keeps knocking the shit out of them, they’ll be hospitalized! 

My eyes narrow. I stand up tall and turn my neck, cracking it in preparation. 

I’ve had enough of this. If they want me, they’ve got me. 

I raise my foot and kick in the door. 

BOOM

Heads turn to me immediately. The first thing I notice is the desperation that takes over the boys’ expressions. They look at me like a God. 

“That’s her,” one of them says. 

The tall man that faces me quirks an eyebrow. His blue-green eyes scan my body slowly. He hums to himself and takes a few steps forward. 

“You are the Creator?” 

Is that what they’re calling me? Isn’t that a little…sacrilegious? I get that I make AllMates, but a title like that is unnecessary.

“Which one of you idiots snorted crack and came up with that one? I’m the person you’re looking for if that makes any difference. What do you want?” 

His expression doesn’t change, and yet his eyes become sharper. Apparently, he isn’t amused by my joke. Pity…I thought it was pretty funny myself. I guess they don’t have a good sense of humor. 

“We’ll talk later. For now, you’re coming with me.” 

So he’s a fantasizer too. How ironic. That completely contradicts his appearance. Maybe he’s a puppy on the inside and just needs a belly rub?

With the lack of my answer, or movement for that matter, a long frown appears on his face. 

Aww…is the puppy angry? If I wasn’t terrified right now, I would say that out loud. Then again, he didn’t take kindly to my other joke. I presume he’d take offense to something like that. 

Suddenly, he moves forward. I try to abscond an attack, as I thought he would attempt to hit me. But instead, I feel myself lift off the ground. I’m thrown over a shoulder, with barely any care. 

“What the- what the Hell do you think you’re doing?! Let me down!” 

I hear him sigh to himself, and fell movement. The sight of the group of men and the tied up boys becomes more distant. Before I know it, I’m outdoors. I was positive that he’ll let me go- however, he gets on a motorbike instead.


	18. Chapter 15:

I take the chance to run, of course miserably failing. He anticipated it, and forced me to sit in front of him next. Before I try to flee again, he starts up the motorcycle. Immediately, he lets the break go, which makes the vehicle zoom down the street. 

We’re going too fast! I can barely see anything, how the fuck does he know where he’s going?!

I unintentionally lean back into him and close my eyes. Just then, a feeling washed over me. It was strong, like an impulse. 

My eyes snap open and my hand rushes forward. It lays over the biker’s hand, griping it loosely. No sooner did the motorcycle stop. I hear the screeching of the tires, and feel us both jolt forward with such an abrupt pause. 

'What was that? Was that Scrap? No, I didn’t talk. Sure, I wanted him to stop the bike, but I didn’t even give out a command! How could it be Scrap?!'

I let his hand go and duck underneath his arm. Due to sitting on the bike, my escape makes me loose balance and fall to the cement with a thud. I don’t think I scraped or hurt anything. But I definitely made a fool out of myself. 

I get up in a hurry and turn around to face my kidnapper. He hadn’t moved from his spot all this time. He looked at me through void, taciturn eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere until you explain to me what’s going on,” I firmly state. “Why are you looking for me, and where did you plan on taking me?”

His lips form into a slight grin, as if amused by my assertiveness. He gets off his motorcycle, his eyes briefly glancing around us. When assured our conversation would only be between us, he talks. 

“Aoba sent me.” 

Just by hearing his name, I sigh through my nose. My eyes roll exaggeratedly- almost tiredly. 

“Are all of them worried?” 

“Yes. They speculated you were abducted.” 

I WAS abducted. Hardly 10 minutes ago, a stranger tossed me over his shoulder like luggage! I won’t mention what he and his buddies did to those kids…mostly because they got what they deserved. It was also partly because the fact was irrelevant. 

“Did I look abducted to you?”

He crosses his arms and looks down at me. Only then did I realize… I was a midget in comparison to him. He had to be at least 6’1. With me being 5’5, he was an estimated 8 inches taller than me. In his eyes, I was bite-sized. He could probably use my bones to pick his teeth for crying out loud!

“I didn’t want to take the chance either way.”

Look. I appreciate everything that these people have done. But as I’ve said before, I no longer want anything to do with this crowd. I understand that they want to help, but keeping me locked up in a house is not helping! I feel like fucking Rapunzel here. 

“Well now you know. I’m not kidnapped or in any kind of danger. I left because I want to be alone. So until you people start being frank and tell me what really is going on, I’m not going back.” 

Something I said must have surprised or angered him. I honestly couldn’t tell which it was. All I knew was he didn’t look happy. Then again, he didn’t look happy before. Should I be so shocked? 

“You have no idea what or who you’re up against? Tch, of course you don’t. To think they would have told you… Foolish.”

Comments like that aren’t helpful either. Ugh, this was wasting my time. What was I doing with myself? I was talking to a man who claims to know Aoba. For all I know, he could be working with Toue! I swear, this was driving me up a wall. 

“So what happens after I go with you? It’s back to being bored in a room all day? No. If I agree to go back, you need to promise me that we’ll DO something about this mess. I want to know everything you’re not telling me, and I want to be a part of whatever plan you people are crafting.” 

If I had to pluck a word out of the air to describe his overall expression, it would be ‘unimpressed’. His body hasn’t relaxed one bit. He looked as stiff as a board- serious, and perhaps agitated as well. 

“Promises are worse than lies. They make another have hope; hope for something that you may or may not be able to give. I have no interest in such a thing.” 

“Fine, then don’t promise,” I hiss back. I cross my arms and unintentionally sigh. My eyes trail to the ground, where they stay for a moment. “Can you at least guarantee effort?” 

The silence continues for what feels like eons. I was beginning to wonder if he’ll answer me all together. But just as I was about to turn around and walk away…

“No. But I can guarantee your safety, and the knowledge you’re looking for.” 

Saying that I’m disappointed would be an understatement. However, I admire his candor. It’s a rare trait seen in this day and age. For someone like him, it’s one of the least characteristics I’d expect. 

“Okay. If we’re going to leave, we better do it now. It’s dark as it is.”

I watch him nod in agreement. He gets on his motorcycle for the second time, and waits for me to hop on. This time, I’m sitting behind him. It’s more comfortable, I’ll give it that. Still, I won’t candy coat anything. I wasn’t a big fan of the speed factor.


	19. Chapter 16:

It has to be around 12am by the time we reach Aoba’s house. If I didn’t leave Orio at my place, I would know the time for sure. Aside my AllMate’s absence, things could have been worse. 

For one, this mystery biker could have been a hitman. I make AllMates, which means I deal with Rib Teams. Anyone could want me dead, be as it may the police or a rivaling gang that has heard of my services. Then there was the chance of him truly being a kidnapper. He could have lied about knowing Aoba, taken me to a bar or hotel, given me a spiked drink, and then done…whatever with me. Human trafficking isn’t uncommon. Forced prostitution isn’t uncommon either. So why should rape be any different?

Being male doesn’t exclude you from being ‘wanted’, as much as men like to think so. A thug and/or rapist will go after anything with a pretty face, no matter what gender. This is why people need to learn how to take care of themselves at a young age. I learned my lesson the tough way.

Trip and Virus saved me from being raped when I was 19 years old. Three guys had me half undressed in an alleyway. They fended off the attackers and fundamentally saved my life. Just another reason why we’re close friends…

I hoped off the motorcycle first, immediately regretting my decision. Motion in general doesn’t sit well with me, but this was different. Although I wasn’t sick per-say, I needed to breathe out the symptoms. Such symptoms were mostly dizziness. I expect a sick stomach later, as always. 

“Did you need to go 90 miles per hour? I get that nobody is on the road this time of night, but Jesus.” 

Instead of answering me, he heads into the house. It was like I was suddenly invisible. 

I glance down at myself just in case. I am still in-tact. Or…I hope. Maybe being invisible only counts when others see you.

No, I’m being stupid.

I roll my eyes and lazily climb the porch steps. When I enter the house, I glance around for any sign of life. I see no one, much to my surprise. I can get upstairs if I keep quiet enough…

I walk forward, when suddenly something hits the back of my head. 

“Ow!” 

It’s a shoe. My mistake. It appeared to be a slipper. 

“You had us worried sick, stupid girl!” 

I turn to see an unhappy, elderly, woman. She folds her arms across her chest, and frowns. The expression deepens her wrinkles, making her scarier than she should be. For an instant, I wondered if I should drop and get into the fetal position.

“Sorry, I didn’t know that I needed to tell someone before I head home.” 

She points at me with a still-grumpy edge to her voice. It reminds me of a growl.

“This is your home until we get this sorted out! We can’t have you walking around with Toue looking for another source of power. Your influence can make you his new weapon.” 

That reminds me. How do I know that this ‘Toue’ guy is searching for me? Does he even know that I exist? What proof do they have that I’m being chased? They’re just going off assumptions!

“How am I supposed to know when you guys don’t tell me anything?” I spot Aoba who had just entered the room. Without meaning to, I suddenly direct my words towards him. “You go out all day, disappear for hours, and then come back like nothing. You don’t tell me anything, or if we’re one step closer to solving this issue. It’s like you people think I’m fine with being a sitting duck!” 

He slightly flinches at a few of my words, but seems to understand what I mean. I can tell from him avoiding my eyes and face. 

I assume Clear, Koujaku, and Noiz aren’t here because I haven’t seen them yet. So I don’t know how they ‘feel’ when it comes to my opinion. The stranger from before, though… He’s just staring at me. He hardly blinks or shows any signs of life. Sure, he’s listening. But he doesn’t look fazed by anything that comes from my mouth! 

“We don’t want to leave you out of what’s happening,” Aoba finally says. “We’re just not sure if you’re ready to hear it…” 

I arch an eyebrow and raise my chin. Giving him a look like this, I have a feeling he’s beginning to realize his error. 

“I’ve been ready since you first laid this shit-load on me. Go ahead. I want to hear everything.”


	20. Chapter 17:

These past few days, they’ve been trying to collect somewhat of an alliance. They aren’t openly going from door to door, asking Rib Team Leaders to join their side of the fence. But they have been connecting with old friends. This guy, ‘Mink’, happened to be one of those friends. 

Originally, we were supposed to meet this morning- AKA four hours from now. However, plans change. Obviously we met sooner than we were supposed to. That’s because I bailed. If I stayed a day longer, perhaps they would have considered telling me this information tomorrow. 

Either way, from what Aoba explained, there were still three people he has yet to contact. Two of them were a last resort, but the third was quite questionable. In fact, he might not want anything to do with this. If that’s the case, it’s understandable. But if he were to agree, they would have a huge advantage. 

“You’ve been poking around the battle field, and didn’t invite me,” I playfully tease. “Come on, you know what I do for a living. Don’t you think I know a few groups that happen to have a mean grudge against Toue?” 

I smile almost deviously. Aoba’s eyes glisten at the news, sort of like a child. He leans forward, his mouth slightly parted.

“Who?”

I tilt my body to a side, my eyes squinting in false thought. I was hesitant to tell him, if you want my honest thoughts. “Well…they are a bit of an odd bunch. Still, they owe me a favor. The team is called Jade Needles.”

Mink’s lips twitch into a smirk. He hums an impressed note. 

“Those assholes,” he muses. “Scratch had a run in with them two years ago.”

'Scratch? THE Scratch? How would he…oh right. He was the leader. I think Aoba explained that some time ago. It must have flown over my head.'

“Are they reliable,” Aoba questions. 

“As reliable as a broken condom,” I retort. “But they hate Toue. That’s enough if you ask me.” 

Aoba’s face goes red for a split second. He gets over my joke, which I’ll admit to be a little inept. But then again, someone has to keep the conversation light. The dead-serious atmosphere was irking me. 

“If you don’t mind me asking… Why do these guys have such a grudge against Toue? Any reason is a good one; still, I want to know.” Aoba keeps his head high and alert. His eyes hop to me to Mink, and back again.

Finally, I decide to answer: “Not sure. Whatever it is, it was bad enough to create an alliance against the man. Why don’t we ask them, hum?” 

I stand up and turn to the door. Aoba bolts up from his seat and runs after me. Being worried and rather desperate for some purpose, he grips my shirt sleeve. 

“Hold on! We can’t go rushing into this just yet. If they say no, we may make an enemy. It’s best if we talk to the people we know first.” 

True… Maybe I was jumping into this head first… Okay, I’ll buy into it. Besides, it’s 2 in the morning. I should go to bed before doing anything else. Lord knows I’m tired enough. 

“Fine. If we’re not leaving now, I’m going to sleep. Goodnight.”

I wave to both men in the room, receiving no verbal answer in return. Aoba briefly waves back, but then resumes his spot on the couch. I’m not sure what happened after that. I was upstairs by the time the two of them went into another chat. Really, I didn’t care what they talked about. What I DID care about, however, was Orio. And I wasn’t sleeping until I got him back. 

~

I have Orio. Right now, I was making my way back to Aoba’s house. I left the bedroom window unlocked, so I should be able to get back before anyone realizes I’m gone. It would suck is someone chose to randomly check up on me, and found an empty room. Not only would I get double the slipper-throwing from Tae, but I’m pretty sure Aoba would join in this time. 

“Anna,” Orio addresses, “I’m sensing multiple heartbeats.” 

That wouldn’t be surprising, if the streets were crowded. As of now, it was 5am, and practically nobody but me was out in the open. If Orio is telling me he can sense other people, then that means they are in hiding… But why would they be in hiding if they are simple strangers, and I’m not the police? 

I stop walking. I look around for anything suspicious- or anyone. I don’t see anything. That makes me twice as nervous. 

I sigh and continue to walk. I’m still high on guard, and don’t plan on returning to Aoba’s just yet. If I’m being followed, the last thing I want is them to know who I’m allied with. I’ll lead them to my old place, play around a bit, and see if they’re still following. We’ll see if this is a coincidence or not…in time. 

“Anna, I estimate 25 unknown lives. You need to run.” 

I cover his mouth before Orio can say anything more. 

I know what I’m doing. The place I used to live is quite populated. It’s less likely that they will keep following me around other people. So as long as I’m smart about this, I’ll be fine. 

I take a turn and enter the park. No sooner did I do this, I saw someone at the corner of my eye. The figure dashed behind a tree, out of sight. 

So they’re persistent sons of bitches… 

Take another turn, heading into open area. If they still follow me, they can’t hide in the tree lines. They will have to come out. 

And I was right. Men and woman, all strongly built and armed, stepped out into view. They surrounded me, in heavy dark hoods. Their faces were hidden for the most part. All that I could make out were body types, and perhaps hair colors. But the thing that stuck out the most were the pins on each person’s cloak. The tag-art could be recognized a mile away. 

“Morphine… Fuck.”


	21. Chapter 18:

I take a stagger backwards, trying to look for a way out. I found it between two men. It was a long shot, but it was my only way out of this Hell-mess. 

I dart. The enigmatic people spring into action, trying to grab and/or hit me. By then, I had already managed to squeeze past my targets. 

All I could do is run. I was unarmed, up against 25 people- people from Morphine no less- and I couldn’t go back to Aoba’s. I was screwed. 

I make my way down a known path, heading to the more desolate part of town. The rough terrain is both an upside and a downside. True, it can hide me. But it would take a while to navigate. If I think about this tactically, I might be able to loose these guys. 

I jump over a fallen cemented brick in the road, rushing to the end of the narrow street. Urgently, I enter an already-open building. I hear the thundering of feet chasing me, and get outside through the backway. In an attempt to lose the group, I skid behind a rather large piece of rubble. The hiding spot was perfect. The plan was even more so perfect.

They split up. The group departed like a rushing wave, to look for me, no doubt. So now I had a choice…

I could stay here and hide, or try to get out of here. Both were risky. But as of now, I didn’t have much to lose. 

Escape, my mind barks. Find a way out of here.

I nod to myself reassuringly, and stand up. I adjust the bag over my shoulder, which had Orio inside. When I was ready, I peer around the rubble, only to come across a familiar face. 

I jump, nearly shrieking at the sight of him. Him: Koujaku. 

Where did he come from? This place is covered in rocks. Shouldn’t I have heard him approach? 

“We saw you running. Let’s go, before they come back.”

I nod, but then pause. When the word strikes me, my eyebrows furrow. 

“We?” 

Koujaku gestures to something diagonal of us. I glance to see Clear, who was on top of a building. He pointed in the direction of east, which made Koujaku nod in response. 

“It’s safe to go east. Hurry.” 

I feel him grip my hand, and run in the direction willingly. Clear follows us overhead, but suddenly waves his entire arm. He sharply gestures north, telling us to change our course. We obey immediately, not caring to know what lies ahead. Our only objective was to get out of here. It didn’t matter how many were after us, or what our surroundings were. 

“We’re almost there,” Koujaku whispers. He draws his sword, and presses his back to a wall. 

With nothing else to do, I mimic him. Clear jumps down from the building in front of us, and runs to my side. I feel his hug wrap around my closest arm affectionately. 

“Mistress, I am pleased to know you are safe. I came as soon as you called, and brought Koujaku-san too!” 

There’s that word again: ‘called’. I still don’t understand that ‘called’ crap. But I suppose without it, I would still be hiding behind an unstable piece of rock. If there were a time to be thankful, it would be now. 

“I think there’s four of them up ahead,” Koujaku announces. “I’ll take care of them. Clear, make sure she’s safe.” 

The white haired boy nods firmly twice. With his answer, the man in red seeks out to the enemy. Eager to see the action, I move closer to the crack in the wall. I’m only allowed a glimpse of what was happening.

I see a sword through a torso. I scream follows, and another body threateningly approaches Koujaku. Turning to the foe, he swings his sword again. It was blocked by another weapon- one that I couldn’t see. From here, it looked like a crowbar. Nonetheless, the figure drops to the ground in pain, missing its left leg.

I wince and look away. Clear soothingly continues to hold onto my arm, his head against my shoulder and his hand petting the back of mine. I don’t mind it. In fact, if he weren’t doing this, I would feel like throwing up. Actually…now that I think about it…

'No, don’t do it. Not here, not now.'

I take a deep breath, and suddenly hear the commotion end. Clear lets me go and gently pushes me behind him. Thankfully, the person that stepped into view was Koujaku.  
Blood stained his hand and blade. Other than this, he looked how he normally does. 

“We’re good. Let’s move.”


	22. Chapter 19:

We got to Aoba’s, or Base, as I’m now calling it. Koujaku and I were exhausted. But Clear didn’t show any signs of sleepiness or fatigue. He was still his usual, happy, hyper self.

That boy is a God. I wish I had endurance like that. 

Clear is the first to open the front door. I hang my head, expecting to hear an echo of scolding and yelling. However, I’m met with an empty room like last time. 

I cautiously step inside. My eyes scan the place, looking for a flying slipper, or a person who may be wearing slippers. Yet again: nothing. 

“Tae-san?” Clear peered into the kitchen, evidentially not finding a soul. “Master?”

He went off to check the rest of the downstairs. Meanwhile, Koujaku and I don’t know what to do with ourselves. We’re standing here like statues, in an awkward yet comfortable silence. 

“I’m…going to bed,” I mumble. I lift Orio higher in my arms and rub some dirt out of his fur. “You should probably clean up. You’re sort of…” My eyes travel to the floor. His hand has dry blood on it, but his shoes are tracking it through the room. 

Koujaku follows my gaze, and sees what I’m referring to. He takes his shoes off the second he sees the blood. 

“Oh, you’re right. I’ll clean this up as well.” 

I sigh and mutter something back. I don’t remember what it was, but I’m sure it was close to ‘yeah, good luck’. 

The events of today honestly have me feeling like a jackass. Hours before I went to fetch Orio, I was wondering if I truly was in any kind of danger. Mink made it clear, as frigid and brief as his words were. Aoba was visibly worried for my wellbeing, even while I was encouraging company when wishing to visit Jade Needles. And still, I was too imperceptive to grasp the gravity of my situation to its fullest. I was ignorant to believe things could go back to the way they were. I was ignorant and thoughtless. For this, I owe everyone an apology.

I pause, half way up the staircase. I make my way to the first floor again, and loosely grip my left shoulder.

“Um…thank you, by the way.”

Koujaku looks back at me with a smile. He was standing in the kitchen entryway, about to get something to clean his tracks. I’m guessing I stopped him before he could exit my line of view.

“There’s no need for a thank you, Anna. It’s what we’re here for: to keep you safe and in good hands. Just be more careful, okay? Take someone with you when you go out.”

That will need some getting used to… Before a few days ago, I’ve never been around so many people before. It was always me and Orio. Now I’m no expert on being social- but for someone who hasn’t had more than a 20 minute conversation with a stranger, I was doing well. I barely stutter, I’m opening up a little more, and Hell, I’m even comfortable around these people. 

Maybe this is the first baby step to becoming a somewhat normal human being.

A smile comes to my face. “All right. Thanks again. Goodnight.” 

I turn around and travel upstairs again. I don’t see or hear anyone while going into my bedroom. I’ll be lying if I said that was fine, because truthfully, I wanted to thank Aoba as well.

Later. I’ll thank him later.


End file.
